Rosario and Vampire: Kamen Rider Dusk
by Tailsmo4ever
Summary: Monsters aren't the only things that go bump in the night. And the know the whole world is about to learn this the hard way. The only thing standing between peace and anarchy are a group of young and unlikely heroes. Who are the real monsters? You decide.
1. From Dusk till Dawn

**Disclaimer and warning:** We do not own any rights to Kamen Rider, Rosario + Vampire, or any other element that we decide to add in. So please do not sue us because we might not have the money you are looking for. Also, if forms of demons and witchcraft, dark humor, sexual jokes, limes, lemons, foul language, or any possible gore makes you squeamish, then please turn back now. Otherwise, enjoy.

"Where am I?"

"What happened?"

"Last time I checked, I was heading to class."

"Did I... just black out somehow?"

**The world cannot be changed by petty words alone.**

"Huh? Who's there?"

Scenes flashed before the beings eyes, like a montage of old movies. It witnessed the rise and fall of nations, empires forming, only to crumble to dust, millennia passing in mere seconds, and each second lasting an eternity.

"Wha... what's happening? What's going on?"

**To destroy the old, corrupted world and remake it in your image.**

**Is that the glory you seek?**

**Is that the burden you can bare?**

"Glory? Burden? What are you talking about?"

The images changed, replaced with a scene of a barren canyon, where two sides stood before one another, to oppose the other. On the right, tens, hundreds, thousands of armoured figures were mounted on several vehicles, several others on foot. Up in the air, a was a giant fortress, like a medieval castle, only with the head, wings, and tail of a massive dragon extending from its sides. Mounted on the bow of this strange fortress was another armoured warrior, and flanking it were two more dragons, of oriental design, one red, and one black, with corresponding warriors on their backs. On the left, were an equal mass of monstrous creatures, each one appearing from science fiction and mythology. Way in the back, several larger monsters stood, some looking like massive mutated animals, and others like UFOs in the shape of chandeliers, waiting for the signal to be sounded.

**Know this... the lives of men are not ours to control. Not even our own.**

**We cannot defy the inexorable current of fate that carries us.**

Suddenly, a loud war horn blew out into the air. The armored men all gave out battle calls in an instant and charged forward, vehicles blazing. At the same time, the monsters also roared viciously and charged forward to meet their adversaries.

**But, what if fate itself were to call you... **

The armored men continued their charge, explosions erupting around all of them. From the sky came a great roar, and two trains, one red and white, the other green, descended from on high, the warriors mounted on their hulls opening fire.

**To change the world? To turn the course of the future?**

The army of monsters also went through their charge, undaunted, attacking with energy projectiles of their own. Explosions blasted all around them, but they continued to move forward.

**You cannot defy your fate.**

The two armies reached each other in the center of the canyon, each of them brandishing their weapons just moments before colliding.

**Because there is no fate... but what you make!**

And the scene vanished in a bright flash of white light.

* * *

**Episode 1:** From Dusk till Dawn

* * *

"Huh?!" a young man jumped from his sleep from under a tree. He shook his head and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. "What was up with that dream...?" He removed his glasses to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Why had he dreamt about? It looked like a battle. No, it had been too huge to be labeled as a battle. A war then. It had been a war.

Putting his glasses back on, he gave a yawn as he stretched his arms. Grabbing his backpack, he got up and started get ready to leave. The final bell of the day had long since rang, and the school was almost empty. Looking at his watch, he found that he had sometime left before it was time to head back home.

"Saji-san should be back in the library," he commented to himself, "Maybe we can catch up a bit."

Shinichi Sanban was someone you'd consider to be a pretty average kid. He was a 16 year old first year student of Ryoukai High School. He was very intelligent, getting high grades at just about all of his classes. He sucked at Kanji though. He was wearing a green blazer over a white shirt with a red tie and brown slacks. He wore green sneakers on his feet and had his backpack hanging from his shoulders. He had feminine features, albeit slightly plain, with indigo hair and eyes. To long strands stuck up on the top of his head, like bug antenna. It was a month since he started school, and so far, nothing out of the ordinary happened. Everything was pretty normal... for the most part.

So imagine his surprise when he found a girl lying unconscious on the ground.

"H-huh?" Shinichi blinked. "Hey! Are you alright?!" Almost in a panic, he he dropped his bag and ran over to lift the girl to his side. His eyes slightly widened as he recognized the girl. "Wait... isn't this..."

Moka Akashiya was seen as the most beautiful first year in school, also at the age of 16. She had waist-length pink hair and a very pretty face. She had on a leather choker that had a silver cross hanging from it and beads connecting from the chain to the choker. She had a nice figure and was wearing the female version of the uniform he was wearing, along with black socks and polished black shoes. Shinichi couldn't believe it. In his arms he was holding one of the prettiest girls in school! His friend, Takeru Saotome, had a Top 15 list for the hottest girls in school and she was at the top!

He shook his head quickly. Now was not the time to admire the undoubtedly beautiful girl in his arms. She needed help! She needed a doctor!

"I hope the infirmary is still open!" he said to himself as he gently cradled the girl in his arms before lifting her up. She didn't regain consciousness so there was definitely something wrong with her.

He continued walking his way back to the school building, hoping the doctors hadn't checked out for the day. As he did, he heard her mumble something under her breath, "W-what is this...it smells...it smells like..."

"Huh?" Shinichi blinked and then she put her arms around him, causing him to blush. "Hey, wait a minute. What are you...?"

**CHOMP!**

"Chu~!"

Before he knew it, she had a pair of sharp fangs sinking into his neck!

"Ah! Teeth! Teeth! You're biting me! You're biting me!" he yelled in panic while still holding her in his arms. He didn't know what to do. He just stood there freaking out, his antenna hair squirming about, as she continued sucking on his neck. It was only a moment later before she released her mouth from his neck and jump out of his arms.

"Ah... that was refreshing," Moka smiled brightly, her emerald green eyes shining. She blinked as she noticed Shinichi gaping at her, and blushed as she realized what just happened, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"You..." he gasped. "You bit me!" He had heard of hickeys but that had just been too intense.

"Um... sorry," she said meekly, pressing her fingers together. "I was suffering from anemia because I didn't have much blood lately."

"Blood?" Shinichi blinked. "Wait, did you say 'didn't have much blood lately'?" What did she mean by that? She had bit him and now claimed she had anemia because she hadn't...wait. Wait, didn't that sound like she was a... "Are you a Vampire?"

"Yep!" Moka grinned toothily, revealing her fangs, "I'm living proof!"

"Wow," Shinichi blinked. A real vampire, and not one of those sparkly, emo kinds from that lame Twilight series. An honest for goodness...wait a second. "Am I gonna turn into one too since you bit me?"

"No, silly!" Moka laughed cutely, "It isn't that simple. The only way humans can turn into Vampires is if they're injected with Vampire blood."

"Oh," Shinichi nodded. That was good. He wasn't sure how he could take looking pale and undead. "Hey, should you really be telling me all this?"

"Well, I did bite you, so I owed you an explanation," Moka admitted. Her eyebrows rose as she recognized him, "Oh! You're Sanban-kun from next door, aren't you? The one that Biteru-sensei teaches, right?"

"You mean that creepy witch?" Shinichi questioned. "Yeah, that's the one." Biteru-sensei was a very strange teacher. She was void of any positive emotions, and had a full hatred for children and life in general. Why she became a teacher in the first place was anyone's guess. "Hey, aren't you afraid I might tell someone you're a Vampire?"

"I'm sure I can trust you," Moka smiled beautifully, making Shinichi's heart somehow flutter, "I mean, you have such a wonderful scent..." She put her hands to her cheeks, blushing.

"Yeah, that's a good reason," he mumbled.

"By the way, how can you believe that I'm a Vampire so easily?" she asked curiously.

"I've experienced a lot of weird shit," he told her honestly. "And there's my guardian..." he muttered. "Anyway, let's go. I'll walk you home."

"You will?"

"I found you unconscious. I don't want to have it on my conscience that I let you go home alone where you might pass out again," he said pragmatically. Besides, he had a feeling that there were guys who wouldn't resist the chance to take advantage of an unconscious beauty when the opportunity falls literally in front of them.

"Oh my!" Moka smiled, blushing, "That's really nice of you. Can I be your friend? I don't really know that many people..."

"A cute girl like you doesn't have friends?" he remarked in disbelief.

She nodded slowly, "Everyone thinks that I'm too good to be their friend. But I do want to have people to talk to, instead of a groupies always following me."

Shinichi couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She's really a nice girl, nothing like what the myths say about Vampires. It seems that she's really lonely at the top. "Yeah, I'll be your friend."

"Really?" Moka beamed, her eyes shining, "Can I call you Shinichi-kun then?"

"Only if I get to call you 'Moka-san'," he replied. While they had only just met, the bite pretty much brought down any walls or distance between them. Besides, he still wanted to get to know her.

"Really?" Moka squealed, "Yay!" she grabbed him in a tight hug, enveloping her arms around him. Shinichi only blushed as he slowly returned the hug.

* * *

Moka lived in the girls' dorm which was within walking distance of the school. He walked alongside her, accompanying the pink-haired girl. They didn't walk in silence. In fact, they had talked. He actually asked her questions about Vampires in general and the myths surrounding them.

They finally stopped in front of the main gate of the girls' dorm. This was as far as he could go, unfortunately. Boys weren't allowed on the property in the evening.

"Well, this is it," he said. "Home sweet dorm."

"Yeah, thanks for walking me home," Moka smiled. She leaned closer to him with a smile, "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

"If I run into you. We are in different classes after all," he informed her. "But how about we promise to meet during lunch?" He held up his pinkie.

"Okay, promise," Moka hooked her pinkie with his. Shinichi smiled as they made a pinkie swear. He then left her, waving at her before walking back home.

* * *

As for where Shinichi lived, it was a rather large mansion which had a spacious forest around it. The building itself looked western in design and was generally huge. It looked sort of like the place one would expect rich people to live. If someone lived in such a huge house, then they must be downright incredibly wealthy to be able to afford it. And someone did in fact live in it. There were rumours of a mad scientist who lived in the mansion, who had the power to literally revive the dead. Someone whose skills in medical science were unmatched throughout the world.

Unfortunately, he was out. For now, his daughter was the one watching the mansion.

Shinichi rode up to the mansion on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R sportsbike before coming to a stop. He hadn't used his bike to give Moka a ride home as the dorm was within walking distance. That meant he had to walk all the way back to school to retrieve it. He parked his bike in front of the steps. Walking to the front door of the huge building of a huge building, unlocked the door and walked inside.

"I'm home!" Shinichi called out, entering the rather Spartan mansion. Very little decoration was anywhere beyond a rug or two with some tables here or there. He removed his sneakers and replaced them with slippers.

"Yo, welcome back," a voice said. Sitting on one of the couches was a man named Okita. He was a rather handsome fellow with strongly defined male features on his face and stylish brown hair. His face was made for the magazines. However, the rest of him was the body of a cat. Shinichi had long gotten used to the odd looking guy... or cat... or whatever he was.

"Okita-san, is Fran-san home?" Shinichi asked.

"She's working as usual," Okita replied.

"I guess I should get started on dinner then," Shinichi replied.

"So, did anything interesting happen in school today?" Okita asked.

Shinichi wanted to mention that he had met a real Vampire today and had gotten bitten but he decided not to. Moka trusted him with her secret and she no doubt didn't want anyone else to know. She had only blurted it out to him because she had been caught up in the moment.

"Same old, but I made a new friend," he told the man-headed-cat, the two of them walking to the kitchen. "And she's really cute."

"Oh, so it's a girl huh?" Okita smiled playfully. "She got a name?"

"Yeah. It's Moka Akashiya. She's one of the most popular girls in school," Shinichi said.

"And how did this come about?"

"I found her unconscious on the sidewalk and brought her to the nurses office," Shinichi half-lied. "I even walked her to her dorm."

"Already walking girls home?" Okita whistled, "Not bad. You know, Fran is gonna wanna meet this girl. I'm sure she'll be happy for you."

Shinichi shuddered slightly, "Maybe..." Fran was a very nice girl. She took him in when he had no place to go after all. What worried Shinichi is what she would do with the knowledge of the biology of Vampires. Over the weeks he stayed with her, he had seen plenty of her operations, and not many of them turned out right. Giving a boy the body of a girl, and a girl of a body of a boy, just so that said girl could get over a childhood fear of men was one of the reasons why he was so reluctant.

He often wondered if Fran just had a morbid sense of humor, or she simply didn't realize that she was just making things worse for her clients. Half the time, he wasn't even sure if she intended to help them in the first place or just wanted test subjects.

As Shinichi started on dinner, he considered telling Fran about the dream. Maybe she would have an answer for it. Right now though, if she was working, it was best not to disturb her. He did not want to see something that might make him lies his appetite. No matter how many times she saw her at work he could never get used to his caretaker's occupation.

* * *

"Feast your eyes, dude!" Takeru fanned out a set of sexy photographs. "Pictures of the entire Swim Team during practice! Enough to make two calendars!" It was the next day and Shinichi had just arrived to school when Takeru suddenly popped up to show off his latest acquisition.

Takeru was an average teen who had a permanent tan since he originally came from Okinawa. His hair was cut short and he wore an earring. Like Shinichi he wore the school uniform, just untucked and without the tie. He was someone who always had something to say about women, whether they be positive or negative. This caused most of the girls in school to look at him as some sort of creep.

"How did you convince them to pose?" Shinichi questioned.

"I just told them I was part of the Yearbook committee!"

"But you're not."

"Hey, they don't need to know that."

"Better put those away before Saji sees," Shinichi warned.

"That army brat of a class rep of ours? I'd like to see him try to do something!" Takeru declared boldly.

"Well don't say I didn't warn you, buddy," Shinichi remarked.

"So, how about you man?" Takeru asked, "Word on the street is that you and that Akashiya girl hit it off yesterday."

"Eh? Really?" Shinichi blinked. How had he found out?

"Dude, I've got ears for that sort of thing," Takeru replied. "She's like, the hottest girl in school, by first year standards at least. Her silky smooth bubblegum hair, crystal clear eyes... her beauty is on a supernatural level! They say she rivals Kiko Kirishima, a second year who's part Italian! Just about everyone feels that she's out of their league, yet you're the first one to actually talk to her!"

"Lemme guess," Shinichi started with his arms folded. "Someone saw me walk Moka-san home and told you."

Takeru whistled, "Already on first name basis with her too. You work fast!"

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "I am so not going to have this conversation with you. Now come on before Biteru-sensei gives us detention, or worse."

"I really wonder whose idea was it to put us in that old ghoul's class," Takeru shivered. His hair on the back of his neck stood on ends as goosebumps filled his skin.

"I'd like to know why she became a teacher in the first place," Shinichi sighed, rubbing his shoulder.

"One of the great mysteries of life, pal," Takeru shrugged. As the two teenaged boys walked to class, there was sounds of commotion. People around them were going "Ah! It's Moka-sama!" and "Damn, she's hot!"

Both Shinichi and Takeru spotted Moka walking into the school territory, her steps looking like graceful springs. She didn't seem to make any reaction as all the boys made howling noises and the girls all oggled her in admiration. "Bow chicka bow-wow!" Takeru grinned, "Right on time!"

Shinichi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at Takeru's comment when all of a sudden Moka spotted him and put on a beaming smile.

"Shinichi-kun!" Moka called as she ran up to him to greet him, "Good morning!"

"Good morning to you too," Shinichi smiled, waving slightly. It wasn't long before both Shinichi and Moka started talking, while Takeru was give a thumbs-up behind his friend for score such a hot girl. Although, while Takeru seemed to be amused, no one else seemed to like how the unknown kid was become chummy with Moka.

"Hey! Who's the new kid?! Why did Moka-san greet him?!" One boy demanded.

"That trash! He gonna defile Moka-san! Scram!" a girl shouted.

"Go to hell! Like, right now!"

"Dude, I think there's going to be a riot if we don't head into class ASAP," Takeru said to his friend.

"Right," Shinichi agreed, already worried about the threats he was hearing. Some of them started reaching for weapons. Just then a sleek, black car drove into the school grounds. It looked like something only the rich could afford and everyone knew whose car it was.

"Oh, it's him!" Moka grimaced.

The driver stepped out of the car and opened the back door, allowing a tall young man to exit to vehicle and enter the grounds. He had a handsome face with smooth blond hair, and his uniform appeared to be neatly pressed. He ran his hand through his hair, concededly, and smiled as he spotted Moka. "Ah, Moka Akashiya-san, how lucky of me to catch up with you so early today."

"Um, Kaichou..." Moka greeted back, halfheartedly.

"Shit! It's the president! The Student Council President showed up!" one of the boys hissed.

"Damn that president! He's always trying to get all the hot girls in school for himself!" another boy exclaimed.

"He thinks he can get away with it because his family helps fund the school! Hell, he's only even here because of his father!" yet another boy booed.

The president simply huffed, ignoring the complaints of his fellow schoolmates as he strode confidently to Moka. "There's no need for you to be speaking to some low-level trash like him." Shinichi let out a low growl, but the president ignored him. "Have you thought about the reply to the letter I sent you?"

"Um..." Moka began, fidgeting. There's one drawback to being the most desired girl in school, and that was just about almost every boy slipped her love letters through her locker. Even a few girls had sent her letters, of some of the handwriting were correct. Among those letters were the president's, and he was among the more persistent ones. He simply didn't take no for an answer.

"I'm the kind of man who'll do anything to get his hands on beautiful things," the president said suavely, as he looped his arm around her waist. Moka shrieked in surprise as she felt her butt getting squeezed. This cause both boys and girls to gawk and cry out in outrage. "Only a woman of beauty can compare to the wealth and power that I have! Be my woman!"

Now Shinichi was becoming beyond pissed. This guy was notorious for being a womanizer and something of a misogynist. He was so delusional that he believes that just about every girl in school was head over heels in love with him. Maybe all that money he has went up his brain and turned it into mush. Just as he was about to step in to give the president a piece of his mind, Moka suddenly shoved him back.

"I'm sorry, but..." Moka stammered, "This is a nuisance!" The president's jaw dropped, Moka's words echoing in his mind almost like he were falling into an abyss, as the girl grabbed Shinichi and ran away from the scene.

Silence befell the school, the only form of sound being the whistles, of the wind until...

"**BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!"**

"Oh man! How lame!"

"She called you a nuisance! She flat out dumped you again!"

"Yeah! Suck on that!"

Everyone laughed and jeered at the once again rejected student council president, calling him names and making fun at yet another rejection. Seeing someone so stuck up and so arrogant was always very enjoyable to see. It reminded everyone that wealth and power can't get you everything.

But sometimes, people who do have wealth and power will do just about anything to get what they want.

"Hmph. How dare these lowlives laugh at someone at my stature," the president sneered softly under his breath. "Do they not realize that my old man can have this school shut down at anytime?" He snapped his fingers, and in an instant, the large, hulk driver appeared to his side. Everyone stopped laughing once they caught sight of the intimidating man. "Teach them a lesson," the president ordered.

"Understood," the driver grinned, cracking his knuckles as he leered at the terrified students.

"Oh shit! Run away!" another one of the boys shouted as he and the others ran away from the giant.

"Where you running off to, little shits!" the driver laughed, casually walking towards the retreating boys, throwing several jabs in the air.

"Maybe we should head to class, Moka-san," Shinichi suggested, not wanting any sort of trouble. "We can talk later at lunch."

"Right," Moka agreed as she turned to enter the building with Shinichi. The president watched them go as he glared at Shinichi's back.

"Damn that brat..."

* * *

"Dude, I don't know either to pity you or congratulate you," Takeru said as he and Shinichi went to class together. On their way, several students who passed them either gave Shinichi a glare or curious looks of wonder.

"Takeru, please, I just want to go through today without any trouble," Shinichi replied as they both entered. They then heard the click of a stop watch.

"Good time, you too," reported Saji Hullum. He was about a foot taller than Shinichi and Takeru with broad shoulders and a build that came from working out. His short, brown hair was in a crew cut and he had a stern expression. He also had a shinai gripped in his hand, rested up against his shoulder. On his upper left arm was an armband that read "Iinchou".

"Oh, hey Saji-san," Shinichi greeted. Saji whacked him upside the head with a shinai. "Ow!"

"During school hours call me 'Iinchou'!"

"Alright, alright, Iinchou!" Shinichi cringed, nursing his head.

"That's better. Now get to your seats before I whack you again," Saji warned.

"Hai, hai," Shinichi sighed.

"Hey, Iinchou-dude, are we still on for Halo Night at your place?" Takeru asked.

"Yeah, you know it," Saji grinned, his Southern American accent as thick as ever, "Been waitin' a whole week for it too! I'm gonna enjoy shooting me some noobs!"

"And climbing that leader board!"

"I could do without the swearing," muttered Shinichi.

A cold chill suddenly blew into the classroom as all the lights went out. The students shivered. When the lights came back on, Biteru-sensei stood behind the teacher's podium in all her menacing glory. She was a tall, slender old woman with gray hair put in a bun and clouded glasses. Her face was long, wrinkled, and stern and she was dressed in all black. The sight of her chilled everyone to the bone and many went stiff as she gave everyone a critical glare.

"Why isn't everyone in their seats, Iinchou?" she demanded as she gave Saji a bone-chilling look.

"Uh-well..." Saji gulped, "The school bell hasn't rung yet so usually we just-"

**DING-DONG-DING-DONG**

Biteru-sensei arched an eyebrow, "Well, it appears that class has begun. I suggest that all of you should take your seats before I plunge you into a nightmare world from which there is no awakening!" No one had any room to complain as they all relocated back to their seats. "Good. Today's lecture is about outer space and how it will eventually implode in on itself!" she continued in a raspy growl. "But first it's time for me to mark your attendance."

After taking the students' attendance, Biteru-sensei started her lecture. She was not the most loved teacher. She was terrifying and her lectures always left her students depressed. It was like she was sapping their happiness out of them each time. Not exactly the best way to start the day.

"So in conclusion," Biteru-sensei said, finishing her lecture, "The universe is just doomed. Doom. Doom. Dooooooooooooooooom...!" she stretched out the word like taffy as a cockroach crawled up her face. Shinichi had been in this class for a month and he still hadn't gotten used to Biteru-sensei. He doubt he ever would. "Now get ouy of my sight!" she suddenly shouted as the bell signifying the end of first period rang. The next class was PE and the students were only happy to comply.

* * *

Shinichi and his classmates were out on the field and were going to be running laps. Takeru, of course, was busy admiring the girls. The standard uniform was a white t-shirt for both genders. What differed was that the boys wore blue shorts while the girls wore bloomers which fully displayed their legs.

"This is my favorite class," Takeru grinned at Shinichi as he and Saji sat on the sidelines while the others ran laps.

"Of course it is," Shinichi remarked as he leaned back on his hands. The grass was nice and soft. He then spotted across from them another class was also having PE. It was Moka's class and the girls were playing softball while the boys were doing high jumps. "Ah, there's Moka-san."

Takeru followed Shinichi's gaze and grinned. "Good taste, man. Too bad she's way out of your league."

Shinichi frowned in offense, "She's just a friend."

"Keep telling yourself that because nobody else seems to think so," Takeru remarked.

"Hey, cut your yappin'," ordered Saji. "You guys are up next."

With Moka's class, the pinkette herself was up to bat. The pitcher winded the ball and threw a fastball. Moka reared the bat and sung hard.

**CRACK!**

The hit was tried and true as the ball flew through air. However, it went also went out of the field.

"Foul!" one of the girls shouted.

But the ball didn't stop there.

**SMASH!**

It went through one of the windows, shattering the glass completely. Everyone, even the students from the other classes, stopped what they were doing at the sound of glass being broken into shards.

"Uh..." Moka paled, realized what just happened. "I'm... I'm so sorry!" she dropped her bat and quickly ran away from from the field, embarrassed.

"Hey, Moka-san!" Shinichi called over, but she was already out of earshot. He turned to Saji, "Sorry Iinchou, you need to see what's wrong." With a bow, he ran after Moka.

"Geez, he's got it bad for her," Takeru muzed.

"Yep, and I think it goes both ways," Saji sighed, folding his arms behind his head. "She used to be a lot colder before. Guess the guy managed to break her out of that thick shell of hers."

"He's a lucky son of a bitch and he doesn't even know it," Takeru added, shaking his head. "When's my time gonna come? When am I gonna find a hot chick sleeping on the sidewalk?"

"Maybe when pigs fly an Hell freezes over," Saji quipped.

Takeru glared, "You know what? I fucking hate you."

"Yeah, take a number buddy," Saji laughed. A shadow suddenly loomed over them them, causing them to freeze in place. Slowly turning around, their stomachs dropped at the sight. It was a hulking muscle bound man in a white muscle shirt and dark hair in a buzz cut. Several glass shards stuck on his body, causing blood to squirt out here and there.

"Yo, you punks know who broke the window?" the man grinned menacingly.

"Ah, Higuma-sensei..." Takeru shivered.

"Well? Any of you got something to say?" Higuma-sensei glared, leering down at them.

"We'll..." Saji smiled meekly, "Get back to you on that." He grabbed Takeru and ran off in a storm of dust.

"Hey! I'm don't done with you! Get back here!" Higuma-sensei roared as he chased after the two boys. The other students all scattered off at the sight of the intimidating teacher. "Smiling" Higuma was one of the other teachers that no one wanted to get on the bad side with.

* * *

"Ugh... I really shouldn't have batted," Moka sighed dejectedly. Shinichi caught up with her sitting on one of the school benches.

"Because of how the ball flew into the window?" Shinichi asked. "Don't worry too much about it. It's not like you're the first one to do it. Plenty of batters broke windows by accident before you."

"So you say..." Moka smiled softly. "I don't like this school too much. It has so many different scents."

"Scents?" Shinichi blinked.

Moka nodded. "Yeah. I can tell what kind of person someone is by their scent. Do you remember the Student Council President from this morning? He was giving off an unpleasant scent."

"So you already knew he was a jerk from the get-go," Shinichi confirmed.

"But you," Moka continued, "You have a very sweet scent. That's why I was able to trust you with my secret."

"Really?" Shinichi smiled.

"Um-hm," Moka smiled back. "I'm really glad that we're friends."

Shinichi blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "It's almost hard to believe that you're a Vampire. You look just like everyone else."

"Oh, that's because of this seal," Moka said, pointing at the cross hanging from her choker. "If it gets taken off, I turn into a REALLY SCARY vampire," she said dramatically with her hands raised like claws.

"You... don't say..." Shinichi blinked.

"So, if the seal gets removed, promise me that you'll stop my other self from going on a rampage, ok?" Moka requested.

"I promise," Shinichi nodded. "After all, we all have a side of ourselves we keep secret from other people."

"Thank you, Shinichi-kun," Moka looped her arms around him and brought herself closer. Shinichi blushed in response, "You're definitely the kind of person I thought you would be. You're so warm and kind..."

"Uh... Moka-san?" Shinichi blushed harder as Moka's face came closer to his. Their lips drew ever so near. Shinichi was expecting that she suddenly wanted to kiss him... but it wasn't the kiss he was expecting.

"Chu~!"

Well, she did need blood.

* * *

Eventually lunch break came, allowing Shinichi to finally spend sometime with the pink-haired girl. As they did, they became closer and he learned more and more about her unusual mannerisms. For some reason, she was able to talk to bats, fruit bats in particular. She also absolutely hated garlic, which he learned after clearing away his dumplings which happened to have garlic added inside. Maybe they were other attributes of Vampires? Who knows. He also learned that she drink tomato juice as a substitute for blood.

"Looks like class is gonna start soon," Shinichi said, packing away his things.

"Yeah," Moka nodded, doing the same. "So, can I see you later?"

"As always," Shinichi nodded. "I can even introduce you to Saji and Takeru. Despite what some people say about them, they're both good people."

"I pretty much was already able to tell that," Moka pointed out to him.

"Oh, right. Their scent," Shinichi realized.

Moka giggled softly. "Um... Shinichi-kun?"

"What's up?" he asked.

"Sorry, but can I have a quick sip of your blood?"

"Eh?" Shinichi blinked. Before he could react, Moka dove into his neck and sank her fangs into his flesh.

"Chu~!"

"But you already had a taste of me today!"

They weren't alone though. From behind the trees, someone watched as it looked like Moka was kissing Shinichi's neck from his point of view. At first, it looked as though Shinichi was protesting, but he slowly melted on her arms, giving in.

"Now she's kissing his neck?!" the Student Council President hissed lowly, grinding his teeth. He had been stalking them since the start of lunch period, and so far things weren't looking good for him. He really hadn't taken Moka's rejection very well. "Damn that kid! Who does he think he is, getting so close to Moka!" His eyes pupils shark in a crazed fashion as he balled his fists. "I'll kill him! I'll kill him and make an example of him to anyone else who thinks they're top dog! Moka Akashiya is mine and mine alone!"

"And you'll be signing your own death warrant if you try," a new voice suddenly spoke up.

"Huh?" the president looked up, but then he almost screamed in fear. "Waugh!"

Out of nowhere, a man suddenly appeared before him. He was tall with tanned skin and cold blue eyes. He had silver hair that was slicked up like spikes. He wore a dark overcoat with black gloves and boots. He towered over the president as he backpedaled into the tree.

"Wh-wh-what do you want with me?!" the president sputtered.

"Relax boy," the man said coolly. "I haven't come here to harm you. It's quite the opposite really. I'm here to help you."

"Help me?" the president repeated.

"Yes," the man nodded. "You're cursing the boy for being close to the girl you desire, but he is actually far stronger than you could ever hope to be."

"What?" the president frowned. "How can that be? He's a wimp! Just look at him!"

"Then you don't know the situation you're getting yourself into," he sighed. "Regardless, here." Clenching his hand, there was a spark of black and purple. He then lowered his fist to the president, making the man flinch again fearing he was going to be attacked. The Man in Black then opened his hand, revealing a black computer chip with tendril-like wires writhing about.

"Wh-what is that?" the president gasped.

"The key to your victory," the man explained. "If you should ever find yourself in danger, use it without hesitation. But be warned, there is always a price for power."

The president didn't really know what the strange man went, nor did he really care. Looking at the chip offered to him, he snatched it up. Nodding, the Man in Black didn't say another word as he turned his back and exited the woods. The president watched the man vanished from his sight before he looked at the chip in his hand...

...and smiled.

* * *

"Alright! Halo Night!" Takeru cheered whilst pumping his fists into the air as he, Shinichi, and Saji walked out of the school doors. "Time to get amped!"

"Oh, yeah! I'm gonna enjoy shootin' up some dirty blues!" Saji agreed, grinning as he punched his fist into his palm.

"You guys have the most sadistic..." Shinichi sighed, before cutting himself off, "Oh who am I kidding? Fuck yeah this is gonna be off the hook!" he grinned. "You got all the stuff ready for tonight?"

"You bet!" Saji nodded. "Got all the drinks and food stuff ready! We're gonna get it on like Donkey Kong!"

"Sweet!" Takeru grinned, "So what are we waiting for dudes? Let's get cracking!"

"Hold on just a minute boys!" a loud voice interrupted. The teens sudden flinched and turned around, spoting Higuma-sensei stomping towards them, a shinai over his shoulder. "Is Shinichi Sanban with you?"

"That would be me," Shinichi answered, despite his friends' protests. His eyebrows furrowed as his antenna hair wobbled. Whenever his hair moved on it's own, it normally meant that there was danger close by. The way Higuma-sensei pointed at him only signified it.

"I heard that you were the one who broke the window during your PE class," the teacher accused. Shinichi widened his eyes in surprise. "Walk with me for a bit. We're gonna have a talk about that."

"Hang on a minute!" Takeru excalmed, "Shinichi wasn't the one who-"

"Can it shrimp! You're already on my shitlist!" Higuma-sensei boomed, causing him to shut up.

"Don't worry guys," Shinichi assured his friends, "I'll settle this myself. You go on right ahead."

"You sure you don't need backup?" Saji questioned worriedly.

"Relax, guys. What's the worst that could happen?" he complied.

'_Heh. You got no idea kid,'_ Higuma-sensei thought menacingly.

* * *

The man that the president saw before walked through the school hallways, conveniently where no one was around to spot him. "So, this is where he's been going. This is quite the school," he muttered to himself. Turning to his left, he spotted a broadcast room. Smiling, he entered the room and looked around, admiring the machines. Looking at a monitor, he spotted Shinichi being lead through the hallways by Higuma-sensei. "Right on time..." the man smirked.

* * *

"Get in! Now!" Higuma-sensei barked, shoving Shinichi into the the AV room.

"Hey, watch it!" Shinichi snapped as the door was closed behind them. "What's this all... holy hell?!" he exclaimed, his eyes widening at what he saw in front of him.

His reason for his outburst. Simple. Right before him were several third year students holding Moka by her arms, like a hostage. Her school coat was removed, indicating that they tried to get through her shirt. In front of them was the president, looking at Shinichi with a sneer. "Shinichi-kun! Help!" Moka pleaded.

"How nice of you to join us, Shinichi Sanban," the president greeted, bowing mockingly. "You're a filthy insect who swarms around my Moka. It's time I exterminated you."

"What? Sorry you're still peeved over the rejection from this morning? Get a life man!" Shinichi shouted. He turned to Higuma-sensei, "And wasn't this about the broken glass window?!"

"Heh," Higuma-sensei sneered before slamming his shinai against Shinichi's face. Shinichi let out a cough as his glasses went flying off from his face and tumbled across the floor. Moka gasped at the sudden brutality from the teacher.

"Hahahaha!" the president cackled madly, "You idiot! You walked in without a clue! Higuma-sensei here is working as my bodyguard under the orders of my old man!" He noticed Shinichi's glasses on the floor and grinned. Paying no mind to the recovering first year, he walked towards the spectacles and crushed them under his feet.

Shinichi gapped in an instant, "My glasses! You son of a bitch!"

"Moka belongs to me, and me alone!" the president proclaimed bodaciously, grinding his heel under the crush glasses... and relishing the look of outrage on Shinichi's face. "And anyone who goes near her will die." He snapped his fingers, signaling Higuma to go all out. The teacher laughed loudly as he swung his shinai down at Shinichi's head, planning on beating the poor kid black and blue.

And then he caught it in his hand.

"What the?" Higuma-sensei gasped. Shinichi's head snapped up, revealing a pair of red, angry eyes. Before Higuma-sensei knew it, a fist smashed into his face, sending him crashing against the chairs.

"Shinichi-kun?" Moka gasped.

"The hell?!" the president exclaimed.

* * *

The man leisurely placed on a set of headphones and tinkered with the broadcast controls. "Well, I guess it's time remove any traces of witnesses. Thing are about to very... chaotic." He pressed the play button, causing a loud note to sound throughout all the speakers in the school. The note seemed to have a hypnotic effect on everyone left in school, both staff and students. Their eyes glazed over as they dropped whatever they were doing and shuffled out of the school, like zombies. The man gave no emotion as he folded his hands. "The AV room should be soundproof, keeping the occupants from hearing the hypnotic noise. All that remains now is to wait and see what happens next."

* * *

"Wh... what the hell is this?!" the president stammered, staggering back, "What's going on?!"

Shinichi ran his hands through his hair, causing it to slick into spikes. His still glowing eyes narrowed at the cowardly Kaichou. "You made two mistakes," he said angrily. "First, you tried to force yourself on Moka when you couldn't woo her. And then, you had to break my glasses. I liked those glasses." He went over to the recovering Higuma-sensei and grabbed him by the arm. He pulled the man towards him and kneed him hard in the stomach, the force of the blow causing the man to double over before he went flying and crashed into the nearest wall. Shinichi removed his tie and dropped it to the floor before he took out a pair of leather gloves and slipped them on.

"Now, you have the count of three to let Moka-san go. If you don't then I can't be held responsible for what will happen to you, _Kaichou_," Shinichi warned/demanded.

Moka gaped at Shinichi's complete change in personality. His eyes were no longer warm but cold and the president was frozen by the harsh glare he was receiving. He then looked at his third year lackeys.

"What are you idiots waiting for!? Get him!" he ordered. The third years did as told and attacked Shinichi, all except for one who was still holding Moka in place so she couldn't run away.

"One," Shinichi started to count as he adopted a boxing stance. The first assailant received a brutal uppercut that broke his jaw and sent him flying up into the ceiling. As he hung in midair for a moment, Shinichi spun on his left heel and then kicked with his right leg, sending the student flying and crashing against his buddies, knocking them to the floor.

"2," Shinichi continued to count. The third years pushed their unconscious comrade off them and tried to rush Shinichi, flanking him. He slipped into the stance of Drunken Boxing. He swerved back and forth from the incoming punches like a drunken fool, dropping back first onto the floor to avoid a kick and then leaping feet first into second third year. He bounced upward and sent his heel crashing into his skull. He crashed onto the floor, knocked out.

"2 and a half," the last third year clearly realized that he was screwed as he stumbled backwards as Shinichi advanced. He sent a kick to the chest, causing the the poor sap to fly into the wall, causing cracks to appear as he collapsed into a heap. "Time's up!"

"You! Do you have any idea who I am!?" the president screamed hysterically.

"A self-entitled idiot," Shinichi told him. Gritting his teeth, the president took out a switchblade and held it threateningly against Moka's throat.

"Stay back! Or I'll cut her up!" he shouted.

"You wouldn't dare," Shinichi glared.

"Heh. You brought this on yourself," the president grinned manically. "Now here's the deal, I'm going to walk out of her with Moka without any interference from you, otherwise the floors will get messy with her blood. Understand?" Apparently, Moka did not like the proposal so she automatically broke loose from the last third year and grabbed the president's hand, biting down hard. The president screamed out in pain, dropping the switchblade. Immediately, she she joined Shinichi at his side.

"Moka!" Shinichi said, the red glow in his eyes disappearing, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, but the Kaichou had an awful taste," Moka reply, coughing in disgust.

The president hissed as he nursed his hand, snarling as he saw his blood spilling out from very a noticeable bite wound. "You BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" he roared. Grabbing the knife with his good hand, he lunged at the pair.

"Moka! Get back!" Shinichi shouted, pushing her away as he grabbed the president's wrist. As he did his fingers hooked around the cross Moka wore, causing it to...

**SNAP!**

"Huh?" Shinichi blinked, looking at the the rosary in his fingers after he knocked the president back, "Oh crap! Sorry Moka!" He turned to return it to her, only to find to his surprise that a black and red aura was slowly fading into view around her.

"You... broke my... seal...?" Moka managed to say before her eyes began to dull. He then remembered what she'd told him earlier:

"_Oh, that's because of this seal," Moka said, pointing at the cross hanging from her choker. "If it gets taken off, I turn into a REALLY SCARY vampire," she said dramatically with her hands raised like claws._

"Oh crap..." Shinichi gulped for the second time.

The president and his remaining lakey suddenly froze as they too felt the intense supernatural energy swelling up from Moka. "What's going on!" the president yelled, suddenly frightened by the massive wave of power. "What the hell is she?!"

The atmosphere in the AV room suddenly turned dark and thick as black swarming bats flew out of nowhere and merged with Moka's form. When all the bats merged with her, the was a massive shockwave of demonic energy, causing the boys to shield themselves before it all died down. Her hair began to turn silver. She grew a few inches until she stood a few inches taller. Her already ample chest swelled until it snapped one of the buttons off her shirt. Her nails sharpened, making her hands look more mature and giving them the appearance that they could cut through almost anything. Then, she smiled. It looked beautiful, seductive, confident, wicked, and terrifying all at the same time. When she smiled her already sharp canines had lengthened to even deadlier fangs. Then she opened her eyes. As they focused, they could see that they had turned crimson with black cat-like slits.

Shinichi could only stare at Moka after her transformation. She looked radically different, almost like a different person. She looked… more sensual, than before. She exuded a kind of sexuality that would make men drop to their knees, but he could feel the danger which was underneath it. This girl was dangerous!

"Wh... what are you?!" the president demanded, his willpower suddenly draining.

"Moka" said nothing as she suddenly vanished from sight. There was a loud, blood curdling scream, causing Shinichi and the president to turn around. The monstrous girl was holding the last third year over her head with nothing but her fingers. Carelessly, she dropped the boy to the side, his blood coating her fingers.

"Oh... crap..." Shinichi uttered for the third time in a row.

"Hm," Inner Moka purred, lapping the blood from her fingers. "What's the matter, Kaichou? You wanted me, didn't you? Well, come and get me."

"You..." the president growled, lunging forward with the adrenaline fueled him. "YOU'RE DEAD!" Inner Moka snapped her leg up quickly, effectively kicking the president square in the jaw. He crashed against the wall, causing a huge crater to appear as he impacted right through.

Inner Moka lowered her leg as she snorted, "You're lucky that I only used a 1/8th of my full power, otherwise your bones would be dust by now. You should know your place, feeble human!"

"M... Moka-san?" Shinichi stuttered. "Is that you?"

"It's always been me," she answered, turning to Shinichi. "Just sit back while I take care of this trash. I have some words for you myself." She turned back to the stumbling president and cracked her knuckles as she strode towards him.

"She... she's going to kill me..." he whimpered as the Vampire's shadow lomed over him. At that moment of terror, he remember one trump card that was given to him by the strange man.

* * *

"_If you should ever find yourself in danger, use it without hesitation. But be warned, there is always a price for power."_

* * *

"Of course, I can use _that_," the president reached into his pocket and pulled out the black computer chip. As if responding into his time of need, the tendril-like wires dug into his flesh, causing him to scream out. Inner Moka's eyes widened a fraction of an inch as the tridels shot out and started to engulf him into a cocoon, his screams being cut off. Shinichi's eyes widened in shock and outrage as he recognized what was going on.

"Moka-san!" he shouted, "Get away from there!"

"What?" she demanded, turning to him.

"Just do it! He's getting dangerous!"

Inner Moka didn't seem to be in any condition to complain as she witnessed the cocoon growing in size. Deciding to take his advice for once, she jumped to his side as both teens watched the cocoon continue to grow. Just as the cocoon reached the almost touched the ceiling, the wires dropped to the ground and evaporated. Standing in the place of the president, was a large hulking reptile creature. It had yellow scaly skin with segmented spikes covering its body. It had smaller spikes on its fists and two larger ones on its shoulders. The head resembled that of a recognizable prehistoric monster with three horns on the face. Its red eyes glowed with total maliciousness.

**(Insert song - Attacking The Impending Enemy - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor)**

"A Freak," Shinichi identified, "A Triceratops Freak."

"You recognize this monster?" Inner Moka asked.

"You can say that I've seen these things a few times over," Shinichi replied. His annetenna hair wobbled, indicating danger, "WATCH OUT!" The Triceratops Freak breathed out a toxic gas, forcing both Shinichi and Inner Moka to jump out of the way. The gas which had made contact with the ceiling and wall began to eat through the material. Shinichi frowned as he eyed the monster.

"Looks like I have no choice but to use _that_," Shinichi said. A sphere of light shone on his stomach and all of a sudden a metal belt appeared wrapped around his waist. Inner Moka blinked at the sight of the belt. It had a metal strap and the buckle resembled a box with a round window in front and a slot at the top. The sides of the belt also sported metal pads. Shinichi then reached into his jacket and pulled out a computer chip which resembled the one the president had used to mutate himself into that thing. However, this chip lacked the writhing wires and appeared more refined. There was a red XIII imprinted on the chip, which was the Roman numeral for 13.

"Change Chip! Slot In!" Shinichi called as he inserted the chip into the slot on the belt buckle. The window flashed.

"**Stand By! OK?**" the belt called in a digitized voice.

"Hen..." Shinichi began as he waved his arms around in a circle before slamming his palms to the pads on the sides of his belt. "...Shin!"

"**Change! OK!"**

Shinichi spread his arms to the side as a cocoon of light surrounded him. Inside of the cocoon, a grid pattern covered his entire body before being filled in. His clothes were replaced by a midnight blue bodysuit with black gloves and boots. Then, silver armor plates appeared and attached to his forearms and shins. His torso didn't remain bare of armor for long as particles converged on him and formed a sleek yet sturdy black 'vest' which had a silver chestpiece that was modeled to resemble a muscular chest and abdomen. Extending from his shoulders was a pair of broad and sharp pauldrons. Finally, his helmet formed. It appeared simple at first before a pair of yellow compound eyes flashed on the faceplate. The faceplate's mouth area was covered as well with a metal strip going down the centre and had horizontal stripes. Finally, a pair of horns extended from the eyes and pointed up to finish the change.

The cocoon of light erupted and standing in Shinichi's place was...

"**Complete: Dusk!"** the belt announced.

Inner Moka gave "Shinichi" a once over and questioned, "What are you, Shinichi Sanban?"

Shinichi answered, looking at her with his yellow compound eyes, "Not sure. I really don't know, but right now my name is _Dusk_."

The Triceratops Freak, sensing that Dusk was the enemy, let out a ferocious bellow and charged at him. Dusk stood his ground as the Triceratops Freak slammed into him and crashed through the wall, leaving a gaping hole. Inner Moka, not used to being on the sidelines in the middle of the action decided to pursue.

Meanwhile, Dusk was holding onto the Freak's horns as he was being dragged along for the ride in the hallway. The Freak tried to shake the armored teen off but Dusk was not about to let go. The Triceratops Freak turned and then smashed through another wall which led to outside. However, they were also on the second floor so the two went falling and crashing to the ground.

Dusk rolled away from the Triceratops Freak and got back to his feet as the Freak picked itself up. Roaring, the Triceratops Freak lunged forward to smash its fist into Dusk only for Dusk to leap into the arm and land on its arm. The Triceratops Freak gaped and received several kicks in the face before Dusk leapt off and used a drop kick to knock it to the ground once more. Growling, the Triceratops Freak stood up on all fours and the horns began to glow.

"Shit," Dusk cursed before he could get out of the way in time. The horns shot bolts of energy that hit Dusk and he screamed as he was being electrocuted. The attack ceased and Dusk was stunned. The Triceratops Freak took this chance and shoulder-tackled Dusk violently, sending him tumbling along the ground. The Triceratops Freak then leapt upon Dusk and started stomping on him. Suddenly, a slender leg slammed into the Triceratop Freak's head and sent him flying off Dusk.

Dusk groaned. The impacts had formed a crater around him. Looking up, he saw Inner Moka looking down at him.

"Your transformation was impressive but you have disappointed me," she told him bluntly.

"Don't... underestimate me," Dusk grunted as he forced himself back to his feet. He took out another chip and slipped it into his belt buckle.

"**Pincers On! OK!"**

The pauldrons mounted on his shoulders detached and flew up before combining to form a weapon resembling a crab's claw. Dusk raised his left arm and the claw came down to slide over his forearm. Dusk clicked the pincer and glared at the Triceratops Freak as it was getting up. "Eat this!" He aimed the pincer claws and fired a burst of energy that slammed into the Freak, knocking it back. Growling, the Triceratops Freak attempted its toxic gas attack again only for Dusk to fire again. The energy attack and gas met resulting in a violent explosion that sent the Triceratops Freak flying.

"Now, to finish this!" Dusk declared as he slotted one last chip.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

The pincer claw began to shine as Dusk bent his knees. He then leapt into the air and spun in the air before dropping down at the Triceratops Freak. The claw was pointed forward as he spun, faster and faster, like a drill before he collided with the Triceratops Freak. Sparks flew as Dusk continued to spin before he pushed off his target and landed on his feet, kicking up dust.

The Triceratops Freak's body began to twitch and convulse erratically as electricity arched along its body, like it was short-circuiting. With one final roar the Freak collapsed backwards and exploded. Once the fire and smoke cleared, what remained of the Freak was a badly injured Student Council President. However, he now looked like nothing but skin and bones.

**(End song)**

Inner Moka jogged up to Dusk and saw the president. With an eyebrow arched she asked, "What happened to him?"

"The price of using a Freak Chip," Dusk said as he saw the Freak Chip fall off the president's body and turn into black dust.

"Good, now let me finish him off," said Inner Moka sadistically as she reached for the defeated president only for Dusk to grab hold of her wrist.

"No," he denied her. "This isn't you," he shook her head. "What happened to you, Moka-san? The girl I met couldn't have been this cruel."

"Don't touch me!" Inner Moka shot back, snapping her wrist away from him. "As for your question, I am the real Moka Akashiya. The girl you are familiar with is merely my softer side, a result from the seal to keep my powers in check."

"The seal?" Dusk blinked. "You mean this?" He held out the rosary cross. "So, if I put this back on you..."

"My other self will return to this world," Inner Moka answered for him, taking back the seal. "Lucky for you, I can't stay out like this for too long. So for now, I'll take your request and leave the Kaichou be. All I ask of you is watch over me while I rest."

Dusk was relieved, "Well, at least that's something..."

"But you still owe me an explanation, Dusk," she finished before snapping the rosary cross back to her choker. Dusk watched as the enormous aura faded almost immediately and Moka collapsed against his chest. Her hair instantly turned pink again and she became the Moka who Dusk was more familiar with, sleeping soundly with a smile on her face.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Shinichi asked as his armor dissolved away into particles of light.

* * *

"Dude, you missed Halo Night. Where were you?" Takeru asked as he met up with Shinichi in front of the school.

"Something came up," Shinichi answered apologetically, "Sorry."

"You should've called," huffed Takeru.

"Sorry," Shinichi apologized again. "It was... complicated." He really couldn't explain what actually went down. "I had to help fix the window as punishment and then Fran called me over to help her with one of her clients again."

"Well, at least it was a good reason. Just don't ditch our plans without warning," Takeru advised, arms folded. "You should've seen us! Me and Saji were pwning noobs!"

"I would've loved to see that," Shinichi smiled.

"Shinichi-kun!" Shinichi smiled as he watched Moka running towards him, waving.

"Hey, Moka-san," Shinichi waved back, the girl catching up to the duo.

"You had your glasses fixed up," said Moka, noticing his new spectacles.

"Had an extra pair," he clarified as he tapped on the frame. He heard Takeru clear his throat. "Oh, let me introduce you to my friend. Takeru Saotome."

"Hey, babe-" Tucker began.

"Stop it," Shinichi interrupted.

"I was just gonna say hello," Takeru defended.

"You were trying to flirt with her," Shinichi accused.

"...OK, you got me there."

"Come on, Moka-san. Let's head to class," Shinichi said to his friend. Moka nodded, smiling, as the three teens entered the school.

* * *

"So, have you heard about what happened to the Student Council President? He's in the hospital right now," Takeru said to Saji and Shinichi as they sat together in class.

"What happened?" Saji asked. "You think it has to do with part of the school being closed off for repairs? How did it even get vandalized overnight?"

"Nobody knows and they're not telling," Takeru answered. "A real mystery. Until he recovers the Vice-President will be taking over his duties." The room became ice cold as Biteru-sensei seemingly materialized in front of the class. "How does she do _that_?"

"It's a mystery."

"Now class, before I begin my lecture of how life is utterly pointless and meaningless and all that you have looking forward to is a pit of despair and emptiness, we have a new student joining us," Biteru-sensei began. The door slid open and Moka entered, stunning the students. "Moka Akashiya has decided to transfer to our class. I don't understand why. Maybe she just wants to understand why life is pointless. I don't care." She turned to Moka and toward over the girl, "Akashiya, if you have anything to say to the class, say it now. Because after this moment, I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER SOUND FROM YOU!"

"Hai, Biteru-sensei," Moka beamed, seemingly unaware of the harshness from the teacher. She turned to the class and bowed, "Konichiwa everyone! I'm sure you already know, but my name is Moka Akashiya, and I really would like to be friends with all of you. You have absolutely nothing to fear from me. I'm sure that we'll all get along just fine."

"What did she mean by _that?_" Takeru whispered to Saji.

"Hell if I know," he shrugged.

"You can take the empty seat behind Sanban," Biteru-sensei ordered. Moka nodded and went to take the empty seat. Shinichi was still surprised.

"How did you get transferred?" Shinichi asked Moka.

"It was a simple application process," Moka told him.

"That was fast," he remarked.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "WE GOT MOKA AKASHIYA!" causing cheering to erupt.

Biteru-sensei then screamed, "SHUT UP AND SIT BACK DOWN!"

"Hai, Biteru-sensei..." the students went meekly.

Yesterday, Moka and Shinichi had discovered something new about each other. They discovered that they had much in common. They discovered that both of them wore masks. However, what else would life throw at them now? Would the start of a new friendship bring new challenges? Also, would new hardships follow? Could they confront these challenges head on? Only time would tell.

**TAILSMO4EVER: Say hello to my collaboration with Kamen Rider Chrome. This story will be revolving around the oneshot R+V chapter, so there will be some glaring differences compared to the mainstream manga. This took some time, but hopefully this will interest you guys. It's definitely different from the other fics I've done on my own. As for my Mega fic, I'm thinking of rebooting that (no pun intended) but trust me, when I get to it, I'll fix it up good.**


	2. Memory Lane

"Come on, let's go," Shinichi said promptly once Moka was back to her pink-haired self.

"Go where?" Moka questioned as she followed him out of the school.

"Back to my place. You said you wanted answers. At least the other you wanted answers," Shinichi replied. Moka followed Shinichi silently before reaching his bike. He then handed her a spare helmet. "Come on. Put this on and get on."

"What about the president?" she asked.

"Fine, I guess I can call an ambulance for him but I ain't sticking around."

It was only a few minutes after the fight with the student council president who had mutated into a large triceratops monster. Shinichi seemed to know what he had turned into and had transformed as well in response to fight him. Before that he had removed Moka's seal, freeing her inner self. That was Moka's bloodthirsty Vampire side if he had a label for her. Now, Moka had questions and he had answers. He wasn't sure he could answer all of them but he could at least explain to Moka. She had a right to an explanation now that she had been dragged into this mess.

As they rode back on his bike, Moka put her arms around him. It felt so nice. She had never been so close to anyone like this before. A small blush appeared on her cheeks as she smiled softly. It felt almost like a dream. A dream that she might not want to wake from.

They finally stopped in front of Shinichi's home. He parked his bike near the stairs before they both dismounted and started to lead her to lead her to the doorway.

"This is where you live?" she asked, slightly disappointed by the short trip.

"Yeah," he answered. "Now, I've never brought any of my friends home with me. You're the first."

"How come?" she asked.

"Well, you're a Vampire and...OK, you may not freak out," he said as he opened the door. "I'm home!" Nobody answered as he and Moka entered, exchanging their shoes for house slippers. They entered and Moka saw a cat sleeping on the couch in the living room.

"Oh, you have a cat," Moka remarked with a smile. Then said "cat" turned to face had and her jaw dropped. For some reason, the cat had the head of a handsome man!

"Ah, you must be Moka-san. Shinichi's told me about you," the man-headed cat smiled. He scratched his left ear and stood on all fours, "Pleased to meet you. I'm Okita."

"Now you can see why I don't bring friends over," Shinichi told her.

"What...what is _that_?" she asked, her eyes stuck on Okita. "A demi-beast?"

"I honestly don't know," Shinichi answered. "But you'll understand once you meet the mistress of the house." He addressed Okita, "Okita-san, is Fran-san home?"

"She is," Okita answered. "She also just got back from another job so she should be free. You can go ahead and introduce your lady friend to her." Shinichi and Moka blushed at the implication but the former recovered quickly.

"Word of warning, Moka-san. If Fran-san offers to study you, just say NO," Shinichi cautioned his friend.

"Uh... sure," Moka nodded slowly, still shakened from the man-headed cat. If she was this freaked out by Okita, wait until she met Fran's other assistants.

"I'll go get her," said Okita as he hopped off the couch. "Make yourself comfortable, Akashiya-san and welcome to our home." Okita walked off and Shinichi offered her a seat.

"Moka-san, I can see you were startled," Shinichi began.

"Now I understand why you believed when I told you I was a Vampire," Moka realized.

"Living here tends to make people a bit more _open-minded_," he replied with emphasis.

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 2: ****Memory Lane**

* * *

"So, Shinichi-kun, just what exactly happened? How did you transform? What was that armor? How did the president change into that thing?" Moka fired off questions. As Shinichi had gone to make some tea for them. When he returned, Moka took a cup as he sat down.

"One question at a time, please," he requested.

"Sorry," she apologized. "It's just that I've never seen anything like it."

"It's no problem," Shinichi said. "But... haven't you seen other monsters before? I mean, besides other Vampires like yourself."

"Well, only a few times before," Moka answered. She took a small sip of her tea before she continued, "I'm part of a collection of monsters known as Youkai. Youkai as a whole are a race of mythical and demonic creatures."

"Yeah, I think Fran mentioned something like that before," Shinichi nodded. "And they have some sort of ranking system to gauge how powerful each monster type is, right?"

"That's right," Moka nodded. "Youkai can sense the aura of one another to test their strength level. And Vampires are among the very top. We're at the S-Class, what you'd consider to be the elite. The monster of monsters."

"Monster of monsters, huh?" Shinichi repeated, "I can see why your other self is so uptight now."

"Most of my kind are," Moka said, "Especially my sisters."

"You have sisters?" Shinichi blinked, surprised.

"Yes I do. A younger sister and two older ones. They're quite scary. Pray you don't meet them," she warned.

"Are they really that bad?" Shinichi blinked.

"Well, they are capable of being nice," she reassured him. "...Some of the time."

"Wonder what it's like to have sisters..." mused Shinichi. Okita came back and jumped up into Shinichi's lap. "Okita-san."

"Okita told me we had a guest but I never thought she'd be so pretty," spoke a female voice as she entered. Moka looked up and her eyes widened considerably. It was a girl probably in her late high school to early university years. She seemed a little pale and had long blonde hair which reached down her back and had somewhat lazy golden eyes. She wore a white blouse and a ribbon tied around her collar. She also wore a black skirt which reached to her knees and black socks. What caught Moka's attention was the fact that she had stitches running around her neck, along the sides of her mouth, up to her hairline from her left eye, and even her fingers had such marks. The most distinguishing feature had to have been the large metal bolts sticking out of her head above her ears and just behind her temples.

"Don't stare," Shinichi whispered to Moka. Fran went and took a seat on an armchair. Shinichi had made sure to make enough tea for them and Fran picked up a cup.

"Moka Akashiya-san, right?" Fran asked. "My name is Fran Madaraki and I am Shinichi's guardian."

"Nice to meet you, Madaraki-san," Moka greeted.

"Oh, were you surprised by this?" Fran asked, tapping her left bolt. "I always get that reaction when people first meet me."

"Well, you're not exactly subtle or easy to get used to," mumbled Shinichi.

"Shinichi rarely brings friends home so I was surprised when I heard he had brought a girl home, especially one as pretty as you," added Fran, smiling. "You must be really special if he decided to bring you home."

"She's a Vampire," he clarified.

"I was right then," Fran nodded. She didn't even blink when she had heard that.

"It's because Shinichi-kun wanted to explain about what happened at school today," Moka informed her.

"Something happened at school?" Fran asked.

"A Freak showed up. Actually the Student Council President turned himself into a Freak," Shinichi clarified.

"Oh, another Freak. He must've gotten his hands on a Freak Chip," frowned Fran, tapping her chin. "You know, if I could take a look at this president..."

"You can't, he's in the hospital," Shinichi interrupted.

"That won't stop me," Fran argued.

"I know it won't but Moka-san also saw me transform," Shinichi continued.

"Oh, she saw _Dusk _then," Fran took a sip. "I guess it was right for you to bring her here to get the full story."

"What is Dusk? What are Freak Chips?" Moka asked. "What exactly is going on? The last time I checked humans couldn't transform into monsters."

"That's because Shinichi isn't a monster," Fran corrected. "He is what you would call a cyborg."

"C-cyborg?" Moka stuttered, eyes widening. "As in cybernetic organism?"

"You know your science fiction, good," Fran approved. "Yes, Shinichi here is a cyborg but too bad he's not one of mine."

"If I was one of your works I think it'd be pretty obvious," said Shinichi as he stroked Okita's back.

"Nonsense," Fran giggled, "I think it would be a wonderful project. If I had the money, I'd be able to create quite the cybernetic hero."

"Well, don't try anything on me because I think I've had enough work done on me for my own liking," Shinichi said defensively.

"Amen, bro," Okita agreed.

"But how did you become a cyborg? What about your family?" Moka asked Shinichi. At this Shinichi looked down with a sad expression.

"He doesn't know," Fran answered for him. "He doesn't recall if he has any family. He doesn't even know if they're alive or dead. When I found him he didn't even remember his own name."

"But his name is Shinichi," Moka retorted.

"Got it from a stiff in the morgue. He was in drawer #3," Fran told Moka. Moka stared at her with her mouth agape.

"You didn't need to tell her _that!"_ Shinichi protested, his antenna hair turning jagged.

"He wasn't going to be using the name anymore," the stitched up girl justified.

"That's not the point!"

"You still kept the name."

"Like I had a choice! This is why I don't bring friends over. I can't introduce you to anyone."

"And yet you love me anyway," teased Fran. Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I think we're getting off topic. You want to know where the Freaks come in and how they're connected to Shinichi here. Isn't that right, Akashiya-san?"

"Yes," Moka nodded. "And I want to help."

Shinichi, surprised, asked, "You do?"

"It seems to me that Shinichi-kun has been fighting these Freak monster all on his own," Moka reasoned.

"That's because he's the only one who can effectively fight them. Well, if you really want to help then listen up because I'm only going to say this once." Fran snapped her fingers. "It's flashback time!"

"Here we go," Shinichi groaned.

* * *

**(Insert song - Chase - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor)**

"I remember it like it was yesterday..." began Fran.

"It was 3 months ago," Shinichi interrupted.

"Who's telling the story here? Anyway as I was saying..."

_The city was dark with a crescent moon hanging over head as the boy jumped from roof to roof, his antenna hair twitching about as if they were hyper-sensitive radar as he homed on to the source trouble. He was dressed in a black coat with with ragged jeans and black gloves. A white shirt was worn underneath the coat. His brown boots were worn from all his walking and his black scarf rippled in the air as he ran. He has been doing this for about a month now, hunting down the monsters that for some reason he identified as "Freaks". He didn't know why, but he knew that they were dangerous. And as far as he also knew, he was the only one to stop them. The police couldn't do much about them anyway. So it was just him against the Freaks.  
_

_Reaching his destination, the boy dropped down from the roof and landed onto the streets, dust kicking up from his landing. Sure enough, there was another Freak on the loose. This particular Freak had thick black fur and spiked armor plating on the chest, forearms and shoulders. Its legs were reverse jointed hooves which cracked the ground as to walked. The head was in the shape of a stag, with razor sharp antlers, sharp teeth, and green ominous eyes. It had already flipped over a few cars and even tore a truck in half, the fire from the explosions of the vehicles lighting up the night. Sniffing the air and seemingly catching his sent, the Stag Freak turned around and roared loudly at Shinichi, identifying him as the enemy. _

"_Another one," he frowned, wiping the saliva from his face. A light shined on his stomach as he summoned his belt. Quickly, he pulled out his Battle Chip. "Change Chip! Slot In!" he called as he inserted the chip into the slot on the belt buckle. _

"_**Stand By! OK?**__" _

_The Stag Freak, knowing that it was in trouble, charged towards Shinichi with its antlers aimed at him. Moving fast, Shinichi jumped up and kicked off the monster's head, flipping through the air. "Hen...Shin!"_

"_**Change! OK!"**_

_There was a flash of light which formed into a cocoon around the boy, morphing his body into a suit of armor. Just as he landed, the cocoon shattered. He turned around and glared at the monster as his yellow compound eyes flashed. _

"_**Complete: Dusk!"**_

_Snarling, the Stag Freak picked up a random car and threw it at the now apparently named Dusk with full force. Holding out his hands, he grabbed the flying vehicle as soon as it impacted, the force causing him to slightly skid backwards. Grunting slightly, he set the car back down, only to look up and see the Stag Freak leaping up and descend towards him, its hooved feet aimed at him. He jumped and rolled to the side, just as the Freak landed and destroyed the car in a flash of flames upon impact. Flipping back to his feet, he skidded back a few inches as he inserted a Battle Chip into his belt buckle._

"_**Duskalibur On! OK!"**_

_A weapon materialized in his hand. It was a curved greatsword glowing in bright blue energy. With his Duskalibur in hand, he twirled the weapon in his hand and got ready to fight. The Stag Freak charged at him again with its antlers pointed at the armored boy but he leapt over the charging beast and with a swift swing cut off one of its antlers. Landing on one knee, Dusk could hear the Stag Freak screaming in outrage before it turned to attack again. He was ready as he stood up and pivoted on his heel in time to land a slash across the Stag Freak's chest. When it staggered back, he landed a roundhouse kick against its head before following up with another slash that cut off the other antler. A punch to the Freak's face sent it skidding backwards, stunned._

"_Alright, it's time to end this," he said as he slotted in his final Battle Chip of this fight._

"_**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**_

_Blue flames ignited along the length of the blade, coating it before he raised his sword. A pillar of flames in the shape of his sword extended skywards. The Stag Freak, realizing its doom, turned tail and ran in an attempt of self-preservation. However, by now, it was already too late._

"_SHI-HYAH!" the armored teen brought the blade down and the Stag Freak was cut down the middle before it exploded. Tumbling out of the smoke and flames was a man who was knocked out. Falling from his body was a computer chip with tendrils but that soon turned into dust._

_**(End song)**_

"_And another one bites the dust," Dusk said to himself as his sword disappeared. He turned his head down to the street and saw the cops approaching. Knowing that he had to make himself scarce, he jumped up to the rooftops and started to go on his way._

* * *

"So you were fighting these Freaks long before you met Madaraki-san?" asked Moka.

"Pretty much. I mean, it wasn't like anybody else could," answered Shinichi.

"Sounds arrogant," quipped Fran.

"Doesn't make it any less true."

"So, where does Fran-san come in?" Moka inquired.

"I was getting to that," Fran answered.

"I remember I was roof-hopping but then..." Shinichi began.

"You passed out in front of my house," Fran finished.

"You passed out?" Moka asked Shinichi, surprised.

"The armor uses up my energy, plus I hadn't eaten in a while. Added with the fight I was starving," Shinichi said reasonably.

* * *

_As Dusk continued to roof-hop, hunger got the better of him. He hadn't eaten in weeks and he was becoming weaker from the lack of food. Before he could make another jump, he ended up slipping when he landed on the next rooftop. He plunged down to the ground with a loud crash._

* * *

"And I fell," Shinichi concluded. Fran laughed. "Not funny!"

"I don't know. Sounds pretty funny. You slipped and knocked yourself out!" Fran continued to laugh.

"Well, if the armor hadn't protected me I'd probably be a smear on the ground."

"Your body is pretty sturdy regardless. But if that were to happen, I would've rebuilt you."

"That's what still worries me."

* * *

_Dusk regained consciousness and found himself lying on a couch with a blanket over his body. Groaning slightly, he rubbed his head as he sat up and looked around taking in the almost primitive looking living area. "Wh... what happened?"_

"_You're awake. That's a good sign," a new voice spoke up._

_The boy turned to the source and his eyes widened in pure shock. Entering the room was a butler and for all intents and purposes, he looked like one save for one major distinctive fact. His head was that of a bloodhound. In his hands was a silver tray with a tea set on top of it. Walking into the room, he set the tray down and calmly poured a cup for him. _

"_Wh... wha..." the boy stuttered._

"_Your confusion is understandable, as you are not the first to react like this, and certainly not the last," the dog man said. "I am called Howl."_

"_Uh... okay," the boy nodded slowly. "Where am I?"_

"_You are currently in the Madaraki Manor," Howl answered, handing him his cup of tea. The boy wasn't sure if he should take it incase there was something intoxicating, but decided not to be impolite and took the cup, albit with caution, "You are fortunate that Mademoiselle found you when she did." _

"_Mademoiselle?" _

"_The mistress of this house," Howl replied._

"_Howl, is he awake?" another voice said. The boy turned to the hallway and his eyes widened at the "Frankenstein" looking girl in a lab coat. "Ah, good. He came through. My name is Fran Madaraki. I'm surprised that you crashed into my frontyard. Not many people visit me that way."_

"_I wasn't visiting," he retorted, looking at her warily. _

"_Of course, but it was interesting to see you in that suit of armor before it vanished," she told him. "So, do you have a name?"_

"_Call me Dusk. Apparently, that's what my suit is called," the boy answered._

"_You go by the name of your armor?" Fran asked, amused._

"_I don't have any other name to go by." He then saw that she was holding his case which contained his Battle Chips and his antenna hair straightened upward in response. "That's mine!"_

"_Oh this?" Fran popped the case open. "Very interesting. I haven't seen computer chips like these before."_

"_Those are my only lifeline! Give them back!" he demanded._

"_OK, but I have a few conditions," Fran told him as she closed the case. _

"_What kind of conditions?" he blinked._

"_You're homeless, aren't you?"_

"_That's none of your business," he mumbled and then his stomach growled._

"_Homeless and starving," she noted. "Howl, prepare a meal for our guess."_

"_Very well," Howl bowed before going off to the kitchen._

* * *

_After a surprisingly short amount of time, dinner was prepared. The dining hall was large and spacious with a dining table to match. It was at least 20 feet long with chairs along the side, and one on each end. In front of the boy was steak with potato wedges, salad and glasses of water. It all looked delicious, but he still couldn't help but leer at the food suspiciously._

"_Don't worry," Fran reassured him after swallowing a piece of meat, "It's not poisoned if that's what you're afraid of. I would never think of doing such a thing to anyone."_

_Slightly comforted, Dusk took a fork and a knife and cut a piece of stake. Well, if the food was poisoned, he would've sensed it. Opening his mouth, he stuffed the steak into his mouth. His eyes widened from the taste, "Woah! This is really good!" he exclaimed. _

"_I'm glad you enjoy it," Fran smiled. "Aside from my assistants, I don't seem to have much company over unless they're clients."_

"_Assistants? Clients?" he inquired. "You have a career? You don't look that much older than me though..."_

"_Oh my, how flattering!" Fran giggled. "But yes, I'm actually a surgeon. My father taught me everything there is about the profession." _

"_Your father?"_

"_Oh yes," Fran nodded. "Professor Madaraki. He's a biochemist who is quite the celebrity. He's been on active duty since the first world war."_

"_Your dad was around since WWI?" Dusk said, shocked. "He was alive since before World War One? How did he live so long?" _

"_My guess is that he found the secret to immortality in during one of his travels," Fran said, shrugging, "You can ask once he returns."_

"_Alright, when will he come back then?" he asked._

"_I'm not sure," Fran told him, "He's been away on assignment for almost a year now."_

"_Oh. Must be some assignment for him to be away for so long," he said. "Haven't you heard from him? Doesn't he call to check on you?" _

"_He doesn't normally do that," Fran answered. "He's a very busy man you see, so he has small opportunities to call home, let alone visit. But he does come home a few times before."_

"_I see..." Dusk replied. Fran seems to have a lot of faith in her father, despite rarely ever seeing him._

"_I've seen some of police reports," Fran said, changing the conversation. "Apparently each time there's a monster attack there is someone who is left nothing more than skin and bone. I've conducted some research from each of the victims and to my astonishment found that all of the nutrients and proteins were drained from their muscle tissue."_

"_It's the result from using the Freak Chips," Dusk clarified. "While they use it the chip feeds on them bit by bit. Using my finisher on them in their Freak forms causes the chip to absorb too much in a short span of time resulting in them ending up in that state."_

"_Freak Chips?"_

"_They're supernatural computer chips that create those monsters," he explained, "They latch on to a host and morph their body structure, turning them into those monsters. Most of the time the unlucky host of said chip becomes mindless and can't tell friend from foe."_

"_Oh my," Fran blinked, "Who would've thought that something so small would do something like that. Are the chips in your case the same Freak Chips?"_

"_No," Dusk denied, "Unfortunately, the Freak Chips always dissolve after being ejected out of the host. It's because of the overload of energy they absorb, so it destroys any form of evidence. I haven't even found any of the suppliers, so I don't have an unused Freak Chip on me."_

"_Oh, that's too bad. I would've been able to research the functions of the Chip to search for anything that may be of use to you," Fran told him._

"_As for the Chips I have, they're call Battle Chips," he continued. "They are completely different from the Freak Chips, mostly because the look like actual computer chips instead of something out of a Lovecraftian story. They are what give me power."_

_"I see. So, where did you receive them?" Fran questioned "You also haven't explained to me about your own augmentations."_

_"My augmentations?"_

_"You and I aren't so different. The one difference is that you don't look too obvious." She pointed to the strands on his head, "Those twin ahoge on your head aren't just for show, right? They work like a high frequency radar that warns you of danger and tells you where to find a target from a certain distance."_

"_You were able to tell?" he blinked._

"_I have an eye those things," she said. "I just need to perform a physical exam to make sure that nothing is out of place since you've been running out in the streets for who-knows-how long. Don't worry about paying either, it will be free of charge."_

_"What's the catch?" Dusk inquired. "Why do this all for me for free?"_

_"Can't a person do something nice for someone else?" Fran asked rhetorically._

_"Nobody is that selfless."_

_"Clearly you don't know that many people."_

_"I can't really afford to trust anybody."_

_"Well, then you might as well get started. You can spend the night here."_

* * *

"I generously offered him a place to stay," Fran explained.

"Well, it was the best meal I had that was warm and not stolen," Shinichi agreed. "At least I was sleeping in a bed instead of a park bench or the rooftops."

"You didn't start trusting me though. I really had to earn it."

"You're sometimes obnoxious but you were kind to me. I owed you. Anyway, it was a few days since I made refuge here and Fran got my X-ray results ready."

* * *

"_Hmm," the stitched blonde studied the sheets as she held them to the light. Usually a doctor would have preferred to have the X-rays and MRI scans against a stable light source to see them. However, Fran had the skilled and steady hands of a surgeon. Her eyesight was incredibly sharp thanks to her father so she could read the plastic sheets with any kind of light source. "Amazing..." she breathed out. "It looks like your bones are coated with some sort of metallic alloy. I can only think of two methods were such a thing like that is possible." _

"_Which ones?" Dusk asked, sitting on the stretcher bare chested. Normally many young women Fran's age would be quite pleased with the sight. However, Fran's mind was trained solely on science so she didn't really consider the attractiveness of other people. Well, other than Dr. Madaraki. It had taken much persuading to convince him to let her examine him._

"_One method would be two place the sedated patient in a tube filled with bio fluid and insert their bodies with needles that would draw out liquid metal and carefully coat them onto the bones."_

"_And... what's the other method?" he asked. _

"_To replace the bones completely with artificial ones," she said. "Of course, that would be a difficult process as you simply can't just can replace every bone in the human body. The original bones would have to be eaten by the body itself for that to be a success."_

"_Well I don't really remember much how it happened, only that it did," Dusk asked._

"_Tell me, Dusk, what do you remember of your childhood?" Fran asked, curious._

"_Not much. Can barely remember anything save for the fact that I've been on the run and fighting these Freaks," he told her._

"_So amnesia then," Fran concluded. "Must have been so traumatic."_

"_Anything else?" Dusk prompted._

"_Most of your organs have been replaced with artificial ones," Fran continued, "Your heart, lungs, stomach, liver and intestines just to name a few. Good news is that you have a fully functional reproductive system."_

"_Not like I'm gonna be using it," he retorted._

"_Don't be too sure. You're a very attractive young man."_

"_...Are you coming onto me?"_

"_Nonsense. My interest is purely scientific. Ah, something interesting. It seems the belt is grafted onto you but it can appear and reappear at will."_

"_Oh, I've been wondering about that," he remarked._

_Fran asked, "Could you demonstrate your transformation to me?"_

"_Gonna need my Battle Chip to do that," Dusk answered._

* * *

"So, I transformed for Fran and she was really looking at me like I was a unique science project. I think the only reason she keeps me around is to see if anything new turns up," Shinichi told Moka. "That, or finally convince me to let her cut me open."

"You wouldn't do that, would you, Madaraki-san?" Moka asked Fran.

"Not without permission," Fran reassured.

"Which I would never give," he countered.

"So, anyway, the armor was interesting to study. The Transformation Battle Chip allows Shinichi here to make his suit while the rest allow him to summon weapons or execute attacks," Fran continued. "But I got a demonstration of that later."

"What do you mean?" Moka asked.

"My father's reputation has made him several enemies, whether they be politicians or even the yakuza. There was always an assassin that comes along once nearly every month, and that day was no different," Fran answered.

"Except this particular assassin got his hands on a Freak Chip as well," added Shinichi.

* * *

**(Insert song - Attacking The Impending Enemy - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor)**

_The manor was in chaos as Fran's various monstrous servants scrambled about. Several fires have broken out as the monsters struggled to put them out. _

"_Ah mou~," Fran groaned as another explosion hit. She was doing another set of research projects when THIS happened. Nearly all of her equipment had fallen and crashed onto the floor. "This isn't like the other times we've been under attack. It's like we're being hit by an army!" She staggered back onto her chair and managed to swivel herself to one of her the camera monitors. Her fingers punch on the keyboard to view who it was that was attacking the lab. _

_Walking through the hallways was another monstrous being, but it was definitely not one of her creations. It was covered in black and white striped skin and had a muscular humanoid form. Its feet were hooved and it had a set of three fingers. On its back was a set of tentacles that moved about on their own and attached to each one were sharp blades. Its face was that of a demonic looking zebra with red eyes and mismatched teeth._

"_Dusk, one of your friends has come uninvited," Fran called. _

_Dusk appeared in an instant and looked over her shoulder, "Aw cripes," he frowned, "A Zebra Freak."_

"_Since when does a zebra have tentacles?" Fran questioned._

"_Hence emphasis on 'freak'," he reiterated. "OK, Fran-san. Since you gave me a place to stay I can repay you by getting rid of your unwanted guest."_

"_Be sure you do," Fran told him. "Just make sure to take it outside. Repairs aren't cheap you know."_

_"Will do," he nodded before dashing out of the door._

**(Change song - Senshi - Kamen Rider Kuuga)**

_The Zebra Freak was causing a mess when all of a sudden it was hit by an energy blast that sent it crashing through the wall, expelling it out of the manor. When it picked itself up, it saw Dusk in full armor walking towards it. The Pincer Claw separated and returned to their position on his shoulders._

"_Now then," Dusk began as he inserted a Battle Chip._

"_**Duskalibur On! OK!"**_

_His Duskaliber materialized in his hand as he continued, "Let's get this started, shall we?" Without another word he charged at the Zebra Freak and swung his blade, shooting a blade of blazing energy at the Zebra Freak and hitting it in the chest with explosive force. The Freak quickly recovered and got on all fours as its tentacles were poised. The tentacles shot towards Dusk, stretching beyond their original length and attacked from all angles. Dusk was hard-pressed as he tried to parry all the blades but several hits landed along his chest before he was knocked violently to the ground by the blade-mounted tentacles._

_Dusk grunted as he heard the Zebra Freak laugh. He rolled out of the way before he was impaled by the blades as they came down on him. The Zebra Freak didn't let up as the blades suddenly cackled with lightning and shot at Dusk again. He strafed to the side as each of the lightning elemental blades zipped around him. He could feel the electricity blazing past his armor as he tried make a run for it. He skidded to the side and switched his direction toward the Zebra Freak, launching another blade of energy towards it. Freak was now prepared for that though, using one of the blades to deflect it away. It severed as a good distraction as it allowed him to get up close quickly. He jumped in midair and twisted his body sideways. With his Duskaliber glowing brighter, he slashed across the Freak's chest. It screeched out as sparks spilled out from the wound. Snarling, it immediately retaliated by sending a lightning powered punch against Dusk's head. He tumbled across the ground and rolled himself back up. _

"_Alright, you asked for it!" Dusk snapped as he stood up and inserted another Battle Chip. This one depicted Dusk standing with multiple duplicates._

"_**Copy On! OK!"**_

_Instantly, several copies of Dusk appeared and surrounded the Freak. The Freak grunted as he saw the copies, each armed with their own Duskaliber. The small army of Dusks all started to swerve back and forth around around the Zebra Freak, going for the divide and conquer tactic. Two of the Dusks swing their swords, shooting a duo of energy blades at its back. Sparks flew as the Zebra Freak was sent rolling onto the ground. Three Dusks jumped towards it with their swords bare for a strike. However, the Zebra Freak moved fast, like a blur, evading them instantly. It didn't stop there as blades suddenly went through them, causing them to cry out as they exploded in blue flames._

_The Zebra Freak halted momentarily, as if mocking them, before moving towards him swiftly on all fours. The Dusks stood their ground and started shooting energy blade after energy blade. Like all zebras though, the Zebra Freak was quick and nimble, allowing it to move past the blades, even blocking several with their tentacles. _

"_This isn't working," the lead Dusk realized. "Aim for the tentacles!" _

"_Roger!" the rest of the Dusk nodded. All at once, the Dusk swung their swords in a single motion, all of them aiming at the tentacles. This time, they hit the mark as the tentacles were sliced off cleanly. This caused the Zebra Freak to stop in mid charge and screech in outrage. _

"_He's vulnerable!" another Dusk shouted. The Dusks all charged and slashed at the Zebra Freak. It hissed as each copy moved past it, effectively striking it on each side. It refused to go down without a fight as electricity crackled in its hands before it fired a blast of lightning. The Dusks all jumped out of the way, an explosion eruption in their wake. Two of the Dusks that were nearby rushed forward and impaled the Freak with their swords. The blue blades jutted out of its back as it nighed in pain. A third jumped forward and planted a punch down on its face. The force of the blow caused it to fly off from the blades and on to the ground. It struggled to get back up, but it was quite clear that it was weakened when it stumbled._

"_Now then," Dusk declared as his clones vanished and he stabbed his Duskaliber into the ground. "Let's finish this." He slotted the Battle Chip to execute his final attack._

"_**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**_

_Dusk bent his knees and leapt up. The pauldrons separated from his armor and then combined with his legs. He then came dropping down, aided by gravity to gain speed as his body spun like a drill. He struck the Freak in the chest and there was a scream as sparks flew before an explosion followed._

**(Song end)**

_The user of the Freak Chip was left within a circle of flame, now reduced to skin and bone as the Freak Chip detached and turned into dust, having burnt out as a result of the finisher._

_Dusk undid his transformation and turned towards the manor to see Fran exiting._

"_So, you've dealt with the intruder," Fran stated. "Thank you."_

"_I owed you," he replied. "So, what do you want to do with him?" He pointed at the Freak Chip user with his thumb._

"_Well, it looks like the Freak Chip got destroyed again, so there isn't much evidence we can go by," Fran said, rubbing her chin. "However, maybe the Chip left some traces of information that we can use. Perhaps there is some data still left over."_

"_Inside the user," he concluded logically. It wasn't a question._

"_There is only one way to find out," Fran smiled at him._

* * *

"And so, I was treated to another one of Fran's operation performances," Shinichi said. "I have to admit, I pitied the poor bastard."

"He did wreck my home." Fran stated. "It's what I did with many of my other intruders anyway. But he was still alive in the end and that was all that mattered.

"I think he preferred death after what you did to him. You love your work way too much," Shinichi remarked to Fran.

"I think it's important to enjoy your work," she countered.

"Sociopath."

"Battle maniac."

Moka giggled, "You both seem very close." She had only witnessed them banter but it was nothing malicious. Just playful teasing.

"Either way, it was almost two months later later after we managed to repair the damage done to the manor. That was when Fran had something important to tell me."

* * *

"_You got me enrolled in school?" Dusk asked as he ate dinner with Fran._

"_Yes. Despite your cybernetics you're still a growing boy and you can't be cooped up here all the time," Fran said. "You'll be starting next week, in time for the new semester."_

"_OK, but I doubt you could get me enrolled under the name 'Dusk'," he replied._

"_Of course not. By the way, here's your new student ID," Fran slid the ID over to Dusk._

"_That explains why you needed my picture," he realized. The picture was of him wearing glasses with his hair neatly combed. It was split down the middle with his twin ahoge sticking up as usual. He then saw the name. "You gave me a new name."_

"_Shinichi Sanban," Fran nodded. "How do you like it?"_

"_I guess I can go with that," he shrugged._

"_Good, because the guy it belonged to died a year ago and I thought it would be good to give you his name," Fran said bluntly. His eyes bulged._

"_You gave me a dead guy's name!?"_

"_He wasn't using it anymore," she shrugged._

* * *

"And that's how I got enrolled," Shinichi finished. "I had to wear the glasses and wear my hair like that but I prefer wearing it like this when I'm home. It was a new experience for me but I managed to make friends. Saji-san and Takeru are my best friends. Unfortunately, I really can't share a lot of things with them." He sighed, "Looks like I might have to miss Halo Night."

"Tell me, where is the president now?" Fran asked.

"I left him at school but I called the ambulance for him," Shinichi answered. "Not that he deserves it."

"Well, then maybe I should drop by the hospital to say hello," grinned Fran.

Shinichi laughed humorously, "Actually, I wouldn't mind so much." Moka blinked What did they both mean by that? Then she paled when she realized what Fran was implying.

"So, Akashiya-san, now that you know about Shinichi, I think it's time you told us a bit of yourself," Fran said to the vampire.

"Um, sure," Moka nodded shyly, "Well, I used to live in a castle with my family."

"Like Count Dracula?" Fran inquired.

"Fran-san, do you know how offensive that sounds?" Shinichi scolded.

"She brought up that she grew up in a castle," Fran pointed out.

"Yeah, but why do you automatically assume it's a big creepy one?" he asked and then interrupted, "And don't say because she's a vampire."

"OK, fine," Fran sighed. "By the way, Akashiya-san, would you like to continue this conversation over dinner?"

"I wouldn't want to impose..." Moka began shyly as she glanced at Shinichi.

"You're our guest. Besides, you should stay for dinner. Shinichi here is cooking," Fran told her.

Shinichi explained, "One of the conditions of me staying here was to prepare meals."

"You can cook?" Moka asked, surprised.

"When I was on the road, sometimes I had to hunt animals for food. Sometimes it was rabbits, squirrels or whatever birds I could find. I would cook them over a fire," he told her.

"And now he has a kitchen. So, Shinichi, get to cooking. Chop chop!" Fran clapped her hands together.

"OK," Shinichi nodded. He went to the kitchen and the two girls watched him go.

"He has a nice butt, doesn't he?" Fran teased Moka.

"Eh?" Moka blushed, staring at Fran who giggled. Yes, giggled.

"Well, he'd have to be attractive if you love to give him hickeys," Fran added. Moka blushed harder.

"How did you know?"

"Come on, you're a vampire. Where else would you bite him?" Fran was good at connecting the dots and getting the right conclusion with all the information. As a surgeon, she needed to know how all the parts of the body worked together. She applied this in life when looking for answers. "So, how did he taste?"

Shinichi called from the kitchen, "Fran-san! Stop embarrassing Moka-san!"

"Darn him and his sharp hearing," Fran cursed.

"I heard that! And if you don't stop then no dessert for you!"

* * *

After dinner, which included a conversation regarding Moka's background, it was time for the vampire to go back to the dorm before curfew. Shinichi offered to give her a ride back.

"Your guardian seems...nice," Moka said, unsure of how to describe Fran.

"She's eccentric, which is actually the nicest thing I can call her," Shinichi retorted. "But even if she has her quirks and weird hobbies involving human surgery, she's the closest thing I have to family."

"So you really don't remember if you have any family?" Moka asked.

"Fran wanted to put me on missing persons but I said no. I got enemies and I don't want them tracking me down. Not that Fran-san doesn't have her own enemies but that's besides the point."

"But don't you ever wonder about who you really are?" Moka.

"I know who I am. The past is in the past," he shrugged. He sounded so sure but Moka could detect some doubt in his words. "Come on, let me take you back home."

As they drove away, Fran watched them go with a smile, "So, he does have an interest in girls."

"Are you assuming he wasn't interested because he never made a pass at you?" suggested Okita.

"Well, I guess he prefers vampire girls with bubblegum pink hair than blonds covered in stitches with bolts running through their head," she joked, "Now, I think I have to pay the hospital a visit." A gleam was in her eyes.

"I'll go get the car and my spare body," Okita said, rolling his eyes. Even the man-headed cat wasn't used to her habits sometimes.

* * *

In an undisclosed location with a wall occupied by multiple monitor screens, each one displaying various locations and/or data scans. The room that contained said wall was occupied with several state of the art computers here and there, next to several stacks of papers. There was very dim lighting in the place. All in all, it was a rather morbid laboratory. Sitting on a chair next to one of the computers was the Man in Black, looking over the footage that contained Dusk's fight with the Triceratops Freak.

"It looks like his power hasn't slackened," he muttered to himself. "Not surprising, since a Level 1 Freak is relatively easy to beat. Still, we're going to have to double our efforts." His eyebrows rose slightly as his saw Inner Moka approaching Dusk and the defeated Student Council President. He paused the video there and zoomed in on her face. Recognizing the blood red eyes, he was able to tell what she was, "Interesting. So that's a vampire. How interesting. I never thought there would be a vampire in the same area as #13."

He cupped fingers together underneath his chin. According to myth, vampires were powerful, imposing creatures and had the haughtiness to go with it. They were also a very secretive bunch, and almost never went out into the human realm unless they were hunting for blood. His ancestor has seen a vampire once before, but he wasn't able to get much information aside from the facts that were already known. Maybe... just maybe...

"Looks like I've found myself something new to research," the Man in Black grinned. "Very well #13, I will allow you to live your school days a little while longer."

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: And so chapter 2 is complete. Just a flashback chapter to introduce a few characters from the Franken Fran manga. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter as we reintroduce a certain cute n' sexy succubus.**


	3. Lost Girl

A week had passed since Moka joined Shinichi's class and the other classmates were very much thrilled about it. They asked her questions. Lots of questions. Moka seemed more than happy to answer any of them. And why shouldn't they ask her questions? They got one of the most popular girls in school in the class. They were excited over that revelation. Anyone who had that kind of luck should. Of course, Biteru-sensei had to make the class utterly depressed with her bleak and grim lectures as usually. Today her lecture was about why humanity was utterly doomed to destroy itself. Then for homework they had to write a 10 page essay on why everything in the world was doomed to fall into ruin. What fun. It took awhile for Moka to get used to Biteru-sensei. The word "doom" seemed to be her favorite word in the dictionary though. She spoke it in her lecture like 25 times. It was still hard to believe she was a human. A creepy human, but human nonetheless.

...Right?

It took awhile for Takeru to speak with Moka without attempting to flirt with her. He was a lot of things but he wouldn't poach someone else's girl. Shinichi insisted that he and Moka were just friends but nobody would believe him. He would get the occasional jealous glares but they were becoming less frequent as time went by. Moka, herself, got to know Shinichi's friends and while they would never know her and his secrets they were good people. Saji was an OK guy, if a bit strict in class, but he was well-respected. In fact he had led his middle school class to victory in the Sports Festival. According to Shinichi, Saji was a complete BEAST on Halo.

She had no idea what that was or what video games were in general.

"_Seriously_?" Takeru exclaimed in disbelief, "You've never heard of video games?"

"Moka-san grew up in a privileged and sheltered lifestyle," Shinichi reasoned.

"That's horrible!" Takeru exclaimed melodramatically. "Girl, we need to get you educated! After school let's go to the arcade!"

Shinichi whispered advice to Moka, "Just go with it. Besides, this could be fun."

"Well, if you say so," Moka smiled slightly.

* * *

As they were heading to the arcade, they passed by a Hobby Shop. Shinichi stopped in his tracks to stare at the display window.

"Wow! New models! Is that an exclusive Wing Gundam in gold!? Oh man! It's a Zaku! Zaku! Oh, and that's the Strike Gundam!"

"Shinichi-kun, what is it?" Moka asked as she looked over his shoulder. He blushed in embarrassment and adjusted his glasses. Saji laughed.

"He loves model building kits. It's adorable," Saji stated.

"He even has a collection, not that he can show us since he's never invited us over," Takeru frowned.

"You know I got my reasons," Shinichi said, trying to be reasonable.

"Well right now we're going to the arcade. You can look at models later," Saji told Shinchi.

"Hai, hai," Shinichi mock saluted before the continued walking on their way.

* * *

Meanwhile, a nearby train station was bustling with activity. People headed to and from work with kids of all ages going to where they needed to go themselves. One of the trains arrived to the stations and very slowly came to a stop before allowing the passengers to get off. And one of those passengers had many things that she wanted to do.

Dragging a suitcase behind her was a teenaged girl, looking no older than sixteen. She had blue hair tied back by a frilly purple scrunchy with a gold star in it and a set of mischievous looking purple eyes. She was dressed in a blue coat with a white shirt that read "Milky", and a short blue skirt that reached down to mid-thigh. Her legs were covered in black zip-up boots that went up to her knees. She was someone who was obviously very proud of her body, especially since it had nice soft skin, curves in all the right places, and a very large bust size which bounced as she walked. And that was something most girls her age would kill for.

Looking around the crowded train station, she spotted a slightly older looking boy trying to move past the mob. She smiled. She squeezed by a few people before reaching the boy. She tapped him on the shoulder, causing him to look around at her as she asked., "Could you please help carry my luggage for me?"

"Huh?" he asked. "No offence, but you don't seem to have trouble carrying it. And I'm in a bit of hurry now."

"Oh, but I _insist_. Pretty please~?" the girl urged, pressing her mounds against his chest. The boy flinched as he felt the soft sensation of her breasts feel up against his chest. Her smile suddenly tuned somewhat sinister as her eyes began to dim in a glow. The boy suddenly felt himself himself getting somewhat light headed, his vision becoming fuzzy. His breathing got slightly heavy as his sense of free will went out of the window.

"I'll..." he began, reaching for her suitcase, "I'll help you get where you need to go."

"Oh thanks!" the girl beamed, hugging him from behind as her boobs squashed against his back, "You're so sweet!"

"Not's no problem. My plans can wait," he assured her, pulling the case against him. "So where to?"

"I just have to get some things settled before I get to my dorm. Try and keep up, big boy~," she winked, slanting ahead of him with her hips swaying. Already under the girls spell, the boy could do nothing as he dragged himself behind her.

'_Heh, the Charm works as good as ever,'_ the girl though sinisterly to herself, _'And it looks like this city has lots of cute boys to play with. I love being a succubus.'_

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 3: Lost Girl**

* * *

"Welcome to the KING ARCADE!" declared Takeru as he stood before the building facing his friends. The arcade building was amazingly large, standing about three stories high. It had flashy neon lights, adding to its attractiveness.

"Seems to be like the guy who made it had too much time on his hands," Moka remarked, looking at the place. "And a lot of money."

"It does manage to attract attention and customers," Shinichi added.

"I guess it's good for business," she nodded.

"Hey, are we just gonna stand outside here gawkin', or are we gonna go in and play some games?" Saji asked.

"Aye, aye Sargent Bloodlust," Takeru quipped, using Saji's Halo gamertag.

"Come on, Moka-san. It'll be fun," Shinichi insisted. "Just be ready and not get too overwhelmed."

"S-sure," Moka nodded slightly. The group stepped forward and the glass doors slid open. Once inside, Moka was assaulted by bright lights, loud noises and so many different scents. There were arcade machines all around them, each a different game, and so many people playing them. She almost felt overwhelmed but Shinichi supported her.

"It can hit newbies like that," Shinichi told her.

"The games here are the latest in the market! They're so exclusive that they don't even hit the home consoles yet!" Takeru exclaimed.

"And if you don't want to play video games, there are a few other tabletop games like air hockey," Shinichi added.

"This place has everything!" Takeru's eyes shone. "A video game paradise." Saji bopped him on the head. "Ow!"

"Hey, let's not drool at the games, let's play em," Saji told him.

"So, what do you recommend?" Moka asked.

"A beat em up!" Takeru answered.

"First-person Shooter!" Saji countered.

"How about if we just look around and see what you like?" Shinichi suggested.

"That actually sounds pretty good right now," Moka nodded.

* * *

The girl gave a yawn as she stretched her arms, walking through the city. It took almost an hour, since moving her stuff in. Now it was time to party hard before she started school. The boy that she Charmed into holding the luggage for her was a cutie, but not really what she was looking for. Still, the night was still young and there were plenty of guys around. Alright so it wasn't night yet, but you get the idea. As she continued walking, she she warily noticed some guys eyeing her as they passed. She wasn't ashamed of how she dressed. It was in her nature. She loved teasing guys with her gorgeous looks and making them drool. It was even more fun try to and tempt them without her Charm. It gave her something of a challenge.

"Now, what to do...?" she wondered to herself. She looked around the street, trying to find where guys would normally go to hang out. If she's lucky she could find some boys to buy lunch and gifts for her. Her eyes fell onto a very extravagant looking arcade building. "Oh." Boys liked going to arcades didn't they? Smiling, she strutted her way to the King Arcade.

* * *

Moka was looking at the crane game machines with interest. She went to the first one and had her hands pressed against the glass as she looked at the contents. There were stuffed animal toys inside. There were all kinds but her eyes fell upon a cute stuffed cat. Her emerald eyes sparkled at the sight of it.

"So, you want that one?" Shinichi asked, standing behind her. Moka jumped, gasping. "Did I startle you?" he asked.

"You just snuck up on me," she said, recovering. Shinichi slid a coin into the machine and took position at the controls. Moka watched as he moved the claw into position before making it slowly drop down. The claw opened then grabbed the stuffed cat Moka had been looking at before lifting it up. The crane then moved to deposit the stuffed toy into the dispenser and it came out. Shinichi picked it up and handed it to her. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she said, blushing. He smiled and her blush became more intense at his smile.

"So, you found anything else you wanna try yet?" he asked.

"Not really," she said. "Personally, I'd rather avoid those FPSs after seeing how Saji-san does it," she shuddered as she directed her attention to the class president having a little bit of too much fun with a zombie shooter.

"Suck it zombies! Suck it! Die! Die! Die!" Saji yelled, laughing sadistically as he fired at the screen with the game's shotgun. "I love the smell of death and violence in the morning! I love it! I got a boner for murder!"

"He's a bit of a gun nut," Shinichi agreed. "He even has his own collection of real guns."

"He collects guns?!" Moka gasped in shock.

"Well, he does come from a military family. Both his mom and dad served the marines if I remember correctly," Shinichi replied.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Moka exclaimed cutely, "I never would've thought his family was so influential!"

"Tell me about," Shinichi nodded, "It goes to show that amazing people can be found in places you least expect."

"So what sort of games do you like?" she asked.

"Racing, mostly," he told her. "I like riding a real bike though."

"It must be fun," Moka remarked.

"Yeah, speeding down the highway with no worries is always a good thing," Shinichi stated.

* * *

The blue-haired succubus walked inside the King Arcade with a smile on her face. She could already smell the boys inside, as well as body odour but that was a different matter altogether. What mattered was that there were boys in there that she could easily wrap have wrapped around her little finger and do whatever she wanted. She was a bit short on cash, but she could _persuade _someone to lend her some money.

"Now, what would be fun?" she asked as she scanned the arcade and her eyes fell on the perfect game for her intentions.

* * *

Takeru was looking for a game to play, walked down the rows as he peered at the arcade machines. Saji had monopolized an FPS game and Shinichi had gone off with Moka, so he found himself on his own.

"OK, what to...?" He then heard cheering and spotted a crowd surrounding the DDR game. They were all guys. Takeru, curious, went to see what was going on and his eyes widened at the sight of the girl dancing on the DDR platform. "Whoa! Hot chick alert!"

* * *

Shinichi's ahoge twitched slightly as he looked over his shoulder and Moka, who was hugging the stuffed cat, asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think Takeru just found a girl to flirt with."

* * *

Takeru squeezed through the mob of boys, trying to get through to the front. After unceremoniously pushing some guy face first on the floor, he finally got a view of the girl. She was smokin' hot! Her petite and curvy figure was totally fashion model worthy and her boobs were huge for someone her age; they were even bigger than Kiko's! The blue hair of her's was a nice touch too, it really gave her the distinct fun-loving yet mysterious girl vibe. Takeru's grin grew large as he watched her feet hop gracefully on the platform, her body twisting and shaking to the music.

"Bow chikka wow-wow!" Takeru grinned, watching the girl dancing.

"Hey!" the guy he shoved off shouted, pushing him to the side, "Back of the line, loser!"

"Woah!" Takeru excalmed, "Lay of man! It's a free country, isn't it?"

"I saw her first!" the guy barked, pushing him further back. Takeru soon found himself tumbling out of the crowd, falling onto his back with a grunt. He picked himself up, dusted his clothing and sighed, "Aw well, may as well look for a game again." He walked away from the DDR platform with hands in his pockets and continued his search for a game. Unlike some other dudes, he didn't hold a grudge. He knew when to back off. Seriously though, what kind of moron would hold a meaningless grudge?

* * *

He entered the King Arcade with rage in his heart. This place was so unfair and he had spent a lot of money on these games. However, he could never beat these games. Each and every time he lost and ended up with the lowest scores. He wasn't even in the Top 10 on any list. There was always someone better at the games and he didn't like that. He hated being a loser. It was all this arcade's fault! However, he had just gotten something way better than a video game and now he could teach this place a lesson. Opening his hand, a Freak Chip withered about with its wires wiggling. Without a hint of warning, the wires stabbed into his arm and caused him to scream in pain before the black cocoon engulfed his body.

* * *

**(Insert song - Attacking The Impending Enemy - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor)**

Screams of terror could be heard as people started fleeing. Saji blinked and then looked to see what the commotion about. He yelped as he ducked before a boomerang took his head off. It sliced a arcade machine in half instead before it did a U-turn and returned to its thrower.

"What in tarnation!?" exclaimed Saji and looked to see a figure that could not be human. "No fucking way..." he whispered in shock.

* * *

Shinichi heard the screaming and he thought it was from a video game with realistic sound effects. However, his twin ahoge informed him otherwise.

"A Freak," he realized.

"Eh? Another Freak?" Moka gasped. Just when she was just enjoying their day together, things escalated like this!

"Moka-san, you need to follow the crowd and get out of here," Shinichi instructed.

"But what about you?" she asked worriedly.

"Hey, I'll be fine," Shinichi smiled at her reassuringly. "Now get going!" Moka nodded and followed the crowd out the door, not wanting to overstay her welcome.

* * *

The crowd that surrounded the DDR machine had also started to scatter. The girl, caught by surprise by the sudden turn of events, struggled to find her way to the exit. "What the hell's going on?!" she shouted, over the yells and screams. She was already having so much fun and a lot of cute guys were already crowding around her. Who had the nerve to ruin her day? Hearing the sound of a blade spinning through the air, she ducked instinctively as a sharp weapon, a boomerang flew over her head. It sliced through a whole row of arcade machines, ruining them beyond repair before returning back to the attacker. Peering up, she gasped at what she saw.

The Freak, like the others, had a humanoid appeared but its entire body was covered in a green exoskeleton. It had sharp teeth in a rectangular frown, large, yellow compound eyes and a pair of antennae dropping in front of its face. Gripping in its hand was a sharp boomerang. It also had scythe blades sticking of its back.

It was the Mantis Freak, and it was beyond pissed as it tore a fighting game from the ground. It threw it up into the air and sliced it in half with its boomerang as soon as it came back down. Snarling, it peered down as it noticed the girl, who shrieked as she began to backpedal away. Almost acting on instinct, the Mantis Freak slowly advanced forward as it rose its bladed boomerang. The girl's eyes widened in terror as the monster started to approach closer. Before it could bring the blade down to turn her into a bloody mess, a broken piece from one of the arcade machines crashed into its back. This moment of distraction allowed the girl to get on her feet. Looking to the direction where the attack came, it was suddenly kicked in the face and sent flying back into the mess of the other machines which it destroyed. It groaned as it got back up and then glared at the cobalt haired, who glared back with an even harder glare.

"No more! I will not let one of you Freaks kill anyone!" he swore. His Battle Driver formed around his waist and he took out his Transformation Battle Chip before slotting it in.

"**Stand By! OK?"**

"Hen...shin!"

"**Change! OK!" **

The cocoon formed and shattered, revealing Dusk with his armor fully formed and his compound eyes flashing.

"**Complete: Dusk!"**

As soon as he was combat ready, he slotted in his next Battle Chip.

"**Duskalibur On! OK!"**

As the boomerang came flying at him, the sword formed and he deflected the weapon before charging at his opponent. The Mantis Freak released the scythe blades on its back and they grew shafts for it to grip in each hand. The blades were serrated and the Mantis Freak charged at Dusk. The girl, while stunned, decided to take cover.

As Dusk and the Mantis Freak traded blows, causing sparks to fly as their weapons clashed. The bladed boomerang from earlier suddenly came flying back around. It hit Dusk across the back, eliciting cries of pain as sparks were ripped off by the impact. The Mantis Freak took advantage he of this and slashed with both scythes, sending Dusk staggering back.

"What?" Dusk grunted and he saw the boomerang spinning in place in the air and the Mantis Freak's antennae twitching. "You're controlling it with your mind," he concluded. The Mantis Freak sent another command and Dusk promptly rolled out of the boomerang's path. He then slotted in another Battle Chip.

**"Pincer On! OK!"** the Battle Driver declared. Dusk's pauldrons started to come off but he pivoted his body so his left side was pointing at the Freak. His left pauldrons flew forward and hit the Freak in the chest, stunning it. He then allowed both pauldrons to join together and form his Pincer Claw. Now armed with both melee weapons. He charged at the Freak.

The Mantis Freak sent it's boomerang flying at Dusk but the armored teen caught it with his Pincer Claw and crushed until it broke in half. Now useless, the two halves of the boomerang clattered to the floor. The Mantis Freak then went on the assault but Dusk bashed it across the face with his claw before driving his foot into its stomach, shoving it back against the ruined machines.

Tucking his Duskalibur under his left arm, Dusk took out his last Battle Chip.

"I guess you can say this is Game Over for you," Dusk quipped. He slotted it into his Battle Driver.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

Drawing his sword, Dusk yelled as he landed a triple slash combo upon the Mantis Freak with his Duskalibur. Once all the hits landed, the Freak exploded and a man tumbled, unconscious, out of the flames. Like many opponents Dusk had defeated, he now looked like he was nothing more than skin and bones.

**(End song)**

"That was faster than expected, but I'm not complaining," concluded Dusk as he shouldered his weapon before deactivating his Battle Driver. This allowed his armor to dematerialize.

Meanwhile, the blue-haired girl had been spying on the fight and as soon as her eyes landed on Shinichi she grinned, "He's the one!"

Leaning outside of the wall of the now wreaked King Arcade, the Man in Black frowned, "Che. Another dud." He got of the wall and quickly walked away from the premises, unnoticed. It looks like this one didn't have enough potential either.

* * *

Outside a few blocks away from the arcade, Saji, Takeru and Moka managed to meet up. However, there was no sign of Shinichi at all.

"Moka!" Takeru called out and went to hug her but Saji grabbed him by the back of his jacket before he reached her. He pulled the boy back and marched up to her.

"Where's Shinichi? He was with you, wasn't he?" Saji questioned.

"He's..." Moka began.

"Right here," Shinichi finished, startling her as she gasped. She then hugged him in relief.

"You're alright!" she exclaimed happily.

"Where were you? A monster was attacking the arcade," Saji professed, demanding to know the truth.

"I was in the bathroom then I snuck out the back," Shinichi lied as Moka released him, but he made it sound convincing.

"So, you were in the bathroom?" Takeru repeated in disbelief. "Kinda lucky."

"So, if there was a monster attack, what happened?" Shinichi asked. "Where's the monster?" Sirens echoed the streets, prompting the teens look down the road and watch the police cars speeding down the street.

"Now they show up," Takeru huffed.

"Now, Takeru. Respect the men in uniform," chastised Saji.

"Either way, I'm not sure if I can answer some of their questions," Shinichi said, watching the cars, "We should get out of here."

"Yeah, good plan," Takeru nodded, "Let's bounce." Shinichi, Moka and Saji nodded in agreement before the four of them escaped through an alleyway.

* * *

News about the attack on the arcade spread like wildfire the very next day. The King Arcade was forced to be closed for the next several weeks to be repaired for the damage that was done, and just about all of the arcade machines were in need of replacement. Not to mention that it was going to cost a lot of yen to pay for all of the damages. It was a good day to be a contractor and a game developer, but a bad one to be an arcade building owner.

Biteru-sensei's class had already begun chatting about the monster attack that happened yesterday when the lights suddenly began to dim and the air grew cold, causing everyone to silence as they all felt the presence of the least liked teacher of Ryoukai High. The door slid opened and the ever enigmatic teacher herself glided(?) out of the doorway and stood before the podium.

"Good morning, maggots. Before I begin today's lecture on Galileo Galilei and how the Catholic Church sent him into a pit of agony and despair for his teachings, we have yet another new student joining us." she turned to the opened down, "You may come in now, Kurono."

The moment the girl walked in, all the boys started gaping in shock. Even Shinichi and Takeru's wides widened in shock, recognizing her from the arcade. Now she was dressed in the Ryoukai standard uniform, garbed in a yellow sweater vest over a white blouse, tartan miniskirt and bunched up socks with brown shoes. Both boys had to admit that it looked really good on her.

"She's the girl from yesterday!" Takure mouthed.

"She's the new student?" Shinichi whispered to himself.

"Hey there! My name's Kurumu Kurono! I like baking sweets and cute boys!" the girl introduced proudly, getting every male in the room to suddenly stare at her chest. Seeing she had them, she winked saucily, making the boys blush with nosebleeds. "Be gentle with me, okay?"

"Kurono here has transferred all the way from Shibuya," Biteru-sensei explained. "Why she decided to come here of all places I don't understand." She then addressed Kurumu, "You can take whichever seat suits you, Kurono."

"Hai~!" Kurumu nodded. She walked down the row and sat down on an empty chair, conveniently next to Shinichi. She turned towards him for a small second and sent a playful wink at his direction. This served to cause Shinichi to blink in confusion, and Moka to frown at the new girl.

* * *

The period went by as Biteru-sensei went on with another grim lecture. Since when did Galileo get tortured with rats for his teachings? It seemed that Biteru-sensei was determined to show her students that the world of science was even more dark and brutal that it appeared to be. After that was all said and done and the bell rang, Saji stepped up to Kurumu who looked up at him in response. "Yeah?"

"Since you're new and as Class Rep, it's my duty to help show you around, little missy," Saji offered.

"Actually, I want him to show me around," Kurumu pointed to Shinichi who blinked.

"Boku?" Shinichi pointed to himself. He could feel the chilling glares of his male classmates. Even Takeru had joined in. They had been jealous of him because of Moka's attention on him and now the new girl was asking him of all people to show her around the school.

"Please~!" she pleaded cutely.

"I guess," he shrugged as he stood up. Beaming, Kurumu hugged his arm. "Kurono-san!" He could feel his arm pressed against her breasts.

"Call me Kurumu. Ku-ru-mu," she winked.

"...Right. Please, walk this way," Shinichi instructed. He would've pulled his arm free but she was holding it tightly. He was feeling a bit awkward, especially when he felt Moka glaring at them. As the two left the classroom together, Moka's glare didn't leave them. Not even after the door was closed.

"Hey Saji, tell me what I'm doing wrong?" Takeru asked.

"First of all, call me 'Iinchou' while we're at school," Saji started. "And secondly, you're gonna need to be a bit specific."

"I mean, how is it that girls pay more attention to him than me?" he clarified. "He doesn't even try!"

"Well, to put it bluntly," Saji began before pausing, "...You suck."

"Wow, when you drop the bomb you really drop the bomb," Takeru deadpanned.

"Had to be said, hehe," Saji grinned.

* * *

"Wow!" Kurumu exclaimed as she took in one of the main hallways of the school. "Everything looks pretty neat! What a nice set up!"

"Yeah, they really keep this school in good shape don't they?" Shinichi agreed, his arm still locked between her breasts.

Shinichi was being dragged around like a rag doll as they traveled down the hallway. He was feeling quite embarrassed with how his arm was positioned and it earned a lot of stares from the other students and teachers as they went by. Most of them assumed that they were a couple of to go on another romantic escapade. Others saw it as something that shouldn't take place during school hours. Then again, lots of couples in the school had used various secret hideouts within the school to do some quiet lovemaking, including the nurse's office.

Shinichi was quickly starting to find that Kurumu was stronger than she looked. Maybe it was because of her enthusiasm. Whatever the case was, she seemed pretty excited to be around him. Going as far as winking at him before the lecture began, and saying that she preferred him to show her around the school rather than Saji. He wondered what it was she found so interesting about him. He figured that she would tell him eventually.

"So, where did you go to school, Kurono-san?" Shinichi asked.

"Mou, I told you. It's Kurumu!" she insisted, reminding him to call her by her given name rather than her surname.

"I don't think we're close enough for that," he argued. "So, where did you go to school before coming here?"

"Oh, I went to an all-girls school," Kurumu told him, "My mama decided that it was time for me to find a boyfriend so she had me transferred here."

"To find a boyfriend?" he blinked.

"It was a _very _strict all-girls school," she reasoned. "There were never any boys around to hang out with and the headmistress was always set about her boring rules. So my mom decided I needed a change of scenery."

"And you decided to transfer into our class?" he guessed, "The one with the most depressing homeroom teacher?"

"Yeah, your homeroom teacher was not at all what I thought she would be like," Kurumu grimaced, the horde lecture still burnt in her mind. The science lesson was much grimmer than the one what her old school. "I don't remember Galileo getting tortured to death by getting chewed on by starving rats for teaching astronomy. Last time I checked he was only put on house arrest."

"That's just Biteru-sensei's grim opinion. You should listen to her lecture on how the Earth will eventually implode. She uses the word 'doom' a lot then. Anyway, she's always been like that. Rumor has it she drove a kid to suicide by convincing him that life was meaningless and it offered nothing to gain but death," he told her.

"Holy shit," Kurumu uttered. "And she's still allowed to work here?"

"I think they tried to fire her but she's so damn scary that they decided to just wait until she died. Everyone in school has been making bets on when she dies or how she dies. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem like she's going to croak anytime soon. I mean, I'm not even sure if she's even human. We're kinda stuck with her for the entire year," he sighed.

"Wow, that sucks," she frowned.

"Our class gets the most sympathetic looks from the rest of the staff. Just you wait until she gives one of her pop quizzes," he warned.

"Sure, thanks for the warning," Kurumu said. "So, you guys got a baseball field, a gym? I mean, what do you do for PE?"

"We actually do have a field, but there's no one there right now," Shinichi told her.

"That's no problem. In fact, it's even _perfect_," Kurumu smirked wickedly.

* * *

"You mean you saw her before?" Moka asked Takeru. Moka was outside of the classroom with the other two boys, quizzing them about the strange girl who all of a sudden placed her attention on Shinichi. When Takeru mentioned seeing her before, she was already on him.

"Saw her at the arcade and she was really getting a lot of attention," Takeru stated.

Saji retorted, "You were basically checkin' her out."

"So was almost every other guy there!" Takeru justified. "They were all crowded around her and I wanted to see what was up."

"In other words, you were checkin' her out," Saji echoed.

"Oh, shut up!" Takeru spat.

"But now she has her attention on Shinichi-kun!" Moka protested.

"What's the matter Moka? You worried about a little competition?" Saji asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Wha-?" Moka gasped as she turned bright red, "Wh-wh-wh-what are you saying?!" she stuttered.

"You're acting all gung-ho over this girl who's gotten all interested in Shinichi all of a sudden," Saji replied. "Normally a girl doesn't act that way unless she likes the same guy, at least to my knowledge anyway."

"So, jealous?" Takeru teased.

"Um... well I..." Moka stuttered again, fidgeting as her face became even redder.

"You don't have nothing to worry about," Saji assured her. "If I know Shin he's as loyal as they come. He's not the kind of guy to fall for every pretty face he sees, unlike some people."

"Was that a crack at me?" Takeru questioned, eyebrow cocked.

"I didn't say that, you did," Saji remarked. This made Takeru scowl.

"So, what you're saying is that Shinichi-kun won't fall for her so easily?" Moka asked, a bit of hope in her voice.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, missy," Saji smiled, "It takes more than looks and big boobs to get his attention. He's the type who looks at a girl's personality. Good looks are just a bonus."

"But if you wanna make sure you better go after them," urged Takeru.

"S-sure," Moka nodded slowly. Bowing before them, she went off to find Shinichi and Kurumu. She had a suspension on Kurumu, but she need to find some proof before she could confirm it.

"Come on, Iinchou. I smell a catfight about to happen," Takeru grinned.

"You and your habits man," Saji said, shaking his head. Although he was hoping that those two girls would get down and dirty once the disagreements got heated, as class president he had to set an example for the other students, meaning that he would have to break up the spat if it ever came down to it.

* * *

Moka walked through the hallways as she went looking for them. She asked around if anyone had seen them walk by, and got an answer from one of the teachers. They said that they saw them going into the field when Kurumu asked about what they did for PE. Now knowing where they were headed, Moka went outside to catch up to them. When she rounded the corner that lead to the field however, she then saw Kurumu standing on the tips of her toes and touching Shinichi's face. She went pale as her eyes widened in shock. She then saw Kurumu lean in as if to kiss him, and slowly removed his glasses.

* * *

"You know, you look a whole lot cuter without glasses," Kurumu stated as she held his spectacles.

"They were a gift. My caretaker gave them to me," Shinichi answered. "Can I please have them back now?" he asked, trying to reach for his glasses.

"Maybe you should try and take them from me," she grinned, waving the glasses out of his reach.

"Hey! Come on!" Shinichi protested, trying to grab his glasses. Kurumu grinned as she continued to toy with him, bouncing around him playfully keeping his glasses at a teasing distance. Shinichi didn't know what kind of game she was playing, but he didn't feel like playing along. Just then, she went up in front of him, nose pressing, her eyes glowed as the released hypnotic waves.

* * *

"I thought so!" Moka excalmed. She had wondered why the new girl was so interested in Shinichi all over a sudden, now it was starting to make sense. Seeing Kurumu's eyes shine the way the did only served to confirm her suspicions. Pulling out of the corner, she marched her way towards the two and quickly pulled them apart by the back of their shirts. Kurumu's eyes stopped glowing from the sudden shock, and she glared at Moka.

"Hey! What the deal?!" Kurumu demanded. Moka swiftly snatched the glasses out of her hands.

"I've figured out what you're trying to do," Moka accused, frowning at her, "You're trying to control him!" She then returned Shinichi's glasses to him. He put them on after thanking him.

"Wha-what!? That's crazy!" Kurumu denied.

"No, she's right," Shinichi agreed. He turned to glare at Kurumu, "Your eyes were glowing. You're not human, are you?"

Kurumu growled and folded her arms under her chest, her severt obviously blown, "I guess you noticed. Fine then, I'm a succubus."

"Succubus? The female demon that enters men's dreams, seduce them then steal their souls?" Shinichi questioned.

"Except the part about stealing souls is a sham!" Kurumu amended, "It was an old rumor cooked up by some zealot demons slayers to promote propaganda against us. Sure we need the energy of men to survive, but we never take their souls!"

"I guess that makes sense," Shinichi nodded, crossing his arms. Heck, Moka was an example that the most of the myths surrounding vampires weren't true. Well, she had an aversion to water which she explained was because it had a purifying effect against her species. It was probably where the Holy Water myth came from. Unlike vampires in myth, Moka did not burn up in the sunlight nor was she an undead being. She had a heartbeat.

"Why are you trying to control Shinichi-kun?" demanded Moka.

"I saw him at the arcade," Kurumu answered. "When that strange monster attacked I saw your boyfriend here transform and take it out."

"You saw?" Shinichi repeated, mentally scolding himself for not being aware that someone had witnessed his transformation.

"Of course I saw!" Kurumu replied, "Why shouldn't a girl recognize their hero? And from that moment I knew I had to make you mine!"

"You wanted to enslave Shinichi because you needed a bodyguard!" Moka realized.

"No fool!" Kurumu shouted defensively, sounding oddly like Mr. T, "To find my Destined One!"

"Destined One?" parroted Moka.

"Well, mind control really doesn't work on me," Shinichi stated, surprising the two girls. "I have an implant in my brain that prevents that." He tapped his temple for emphasis.

"And I thought it was the glasses," muttered Kurumu. Shinichi removed his glasses and pocketed them before running his hands through his hair, slicking it back and spiking it up.

"So, what is a 'Destined One'?" Shinichi questioned. Moka felt a chill run up her spine. Sometimes Shinichi would do this when he was angry. His eyes would narrow and he would slick up and spike up his hair. His whole demeanour would change along with his appearance. Kurumu wasn't immune either as she suddenly felt tense.

"It... it's my destined p-p-partner," Kurumu stammered, "Every succubus is looking for one. Our kind is... endangered, so we need lovers to keep our race alive."

"So you were using your mind-control power to try to find yours," Shinichi concluded. "Basically, trying to find the biggest fish in the sea."

"I've been trying to look for one since I came to this city too," Kurumu added. "None of the boys were to my liking... until I met you that is."

"Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm really not interested in becoming anyone's 'Destined One' against my will," Shinichi chortled as he put his glasses on then adjusted his hair back to its default style. "You are a nice girl Kurono-san, and I like your personality. If you're willing to become friends with me then I'll except that."

Kurumu was stunned. Even after she had admitted that she'd been trying to use her Charm on him, he was still willing to be her friend? He was either a fool or a nice guy. Her mother taught her that most men would just want her for her body but her Destined One would truly love her. Maybe...maybe friendship could serve as a foundation. She reached out to take his hand when all of a sudden Shinichi's ahoge stuck up and twitched. Some kind of powder slowly rained down around them and he knew it wasn't good.

"Get down!" he yelled as he grabbed both girls and pulled them to the ground, shielding their bodies as the dust exploded around them. As Shinichi stood up, he saw someone standing several feet away from them.

It was another Freak.

**(Insert song - Boss Battle - Red vs Blue)**

The Moth Freak had a brown-colored body and a feminine frame with rainbow-colored wings and compound eyes. It also had a curled up proboscis for a nose and a mouth filled with sharp teeth. The antenna twitched about furiously.

"It's another one," Kurumu uttered.

"Teme...!" Shinichi growled as he rushed at the Freak. He tackled it and knocked it to the ground. The two struggled as they tumbled along the field.

"Shinichi-kun!" Moka cried as she went to chase after the two, with Kurumu idly behind.

The Moth Freak knocked Shinichi aside with a kick. It then grabbed him by his coat and smacked him around before kicking him to the ground. Shinichi grunted but recovered quickly. It then blew the powder at him and Shinichi cried out as mini-explosions erupted on his body. He collapsed to his knees in pain. Growling, he pushed himself up from his arms and launched his legs at the Moth Freak's chest, causing it to stagger back.

He quickly flipped back to his feet and attempted to knee the Moth Freak, but it quickly grabbed his throat and snarled at his face. _"Don't interfere,"_ the Freak spoke in a distorted female voice, _"I only want to make that bitch pay."_

"Who...?" groaned Shinichi as he tried to pry the Moth Freak's hand off his throat.

"_Kurono. I lost my boyfriend because of her. No, she stole him from me!"_ The Moth Freak roared as she threw him at a brick wall, his body smashing through. He gagged and coughed as the dust and bricks fell on top of him. _"Don't get in my way! That bitch needs to die!"_

"What!?" Moka blinked, turning to Kurumu, "What is she talking about?"

"H-huh?" Kurumu gaped, still stunned by the sudden events.

"Kurumu-san, that girl was human and she used a chip to turn into that monster!" Moka said, pointing to the creature, "One of the boys you hypnotized must've been her boyfriend!"

Kurumu gasped. Was this the consequences of her own actions? She didn't think that one of the boys she Charmed was already taken. She was only trying to look for a good time. She didn't mean to make a relationship go awry!

"Even if she did, that's not something worth killing over," Shinichi objected, getting up and dusting himself.

"_What? You're defending that whore?! I bet she tried to brainwash you too!"_ the Moth Freak declared.

"Yeah, but I also looked into her eyes," he said, walking forward before stepping in front of Moka and Kurumu. "Someone told me the eyes are the windows to the soul and I don't see a bad person. Just misguided."

The Moth Freak wouldn't have any of it, _"Shut up!"_ the Freak screeched, spreading out her wings larger, _"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! If thats the way its gonna be, I'll just kill you all!"_ It blasted a gust storm at the trio, causing them to fly off their feet and into a steel fence. It gave way from the combination of the force and their weight, causing the teenagers to tumble into the ground, their clothing getting torn.

"Are you girls...OK?" Shinichi groaned.

"I... think so," Moka moaned, getting dizzy.

The Moth Freak snarled as she started to advance on the downed teens. She was going to make the bitch pay for taking her boyfriend, and if those other two were going to get in the way, then she'll have to kill them too. Before she could continue to move forward, a blast of BB bullets struck her in the shoulder, causing her to recoil only slightly, bit it was enough for her to pause and snarl in anger even more.

"Get yourself away from my friends, you damn dirty freak!" It was Saji, holding up a shotgun leveled at the Freak. He jogged to the area and kneeled down at his friends to check their conditions, "You folks alright?"

"Been... better..." Shinichi groaned, getting to his feet. Moka and Kurumu joined suit.

"How did you know where to find us?" Kurumu asked.

"I saw what was goin' on from the second floor so I hit the alarm. The school's being evacuated right now over the commotion, so I suggest y'all do the same," Saji ordered, keeping his gun aimed at the Freak.

"What about you?" Kurumu asked.

"I'm the class prez! It's my job to look after my fellow classmates! I'll distract it while you guys make a run for it!" Saji grinned, throwing a thumbs up. While his bullets weren't doing any damage, they served to distract the Freak. "Now go on! Get!"

Shinichi wanted to protest, but he knew that there was just no arguing with Saji. He was as stubborn as they came. Once he had his mind set on something, there was no way of changing it. "Just don't get yourself killed," Shinichi warned. Saji nodded. Seeing that, Shinichi lead the two girls to safety and hid behind one of the walls.

"You aren't just going to leave him there, are you?" Moka asked, fully knowing the answer.

"Of course not," he groaned. "I just..." He suddenly stumbled to the side and his hand caught onto Moka's rosary cross. It snapped off and once he regained his balance he just blinked at the cross now held in his hand. "Uh-oh," he muttered before his vision became blinded by blood red light.

* * *

Saji continued to fire shots of BB pellets from his shotgun, reloading with each shot that was fired. The Moth Freak was slowly walking towards him in response, the pellets bouncing off of her with each hit. The hits had little to no effect and her aside from slowing her down slightly. As soon as she was close enough, the Moth Freak ducked from the last shot and knocked the shotgun from Saji's hand. She then grabbed Saji's throat and picked him up from the ground. His legs dangled as she began to strangled his throat.

"_You didn't have to be in the way,"_ the Moth Freak whispered.

"Well..." Saji grunted, "...When you mess with my classmates, you mess with me!"

"**Dusk: Complete!"**

"**Duskalibur On! OK!"**

**(Change song - ****Powerdizer Deformation**** - Kamen Rider Fourze)**

Dusk leapt out of nowhere and slashed at the Moth Freak's arm, forcing her to free Saji. Saji landed on his butt and coughed out the dust. He looked up and gasped and looked up at Dusk.

"Go, run," Dusk told Saji simply. "I got this."

"Y-you got it pal," Saji nodded, getting up on his feet and making a break for it.

"_Who the hell are you!?_" the Moth Freak demanded from Dusk who shouldered his sword.

"Dusk," Dusk answered simply. "Now, time to take you down!" He charged in and swung but the Moth Freak jumped back and hovered in the air. He looked up for a moment before jumping up after her. Both of them tackled each other with the Moth Freak using her claws to deflect the blows of his sword. She flipped around in midair before kicking him back down to the earth on his chest. She then flapped her wings and released a cloud of powder. When the powder touched Dusk's armor as he got up, it exploded and he screamed out from the multiple mini-explosions that erupted all around his body. He collapsed to the ground in pain as the Moth Freak hovered lower and looked on in triumph. Suddenly, a kick smashed into her face. She was sent flying backwards from the hit and smashed into several trees. The was a loud boom and a pillar of dust in the distance, indicating that the Freak landed.

"Holy crap," Dusk uttered to himself, seeing the destruction of the impact. He felt a hand grip on his shoulder and forced him back to his feet, "Ah, Moka-san," he addressed the now silver-haired vampire.

"Don't relax just yet," Inner Moka said, looking to where she kicked the monster to, "This Freak appears more dangerous than the last one. She has intelligence on her side."

"I know..." Dusk nodded. The Freaks before had been driven only by raw animalistic instinct. This Freak... was the first one he's seen that still has her intelligence intact. That means she can think and plan on what to do next. They needed to be extra careful with this one.

A loud shriek echoed in the sky before the Moth Freak shot into the air and glared at the cyborg and vampire. She dove straight towards them and fired rainbow colored lasers from her antenna. The pair quickly jumped, flipped and rolled from the attacks as they created blasts of explosions from each hit. She opt for another tactic, zipping past them back and forth as she continued shooting her lasers.

"Damn it!" Dusk cursed, "We can't get close enough to her!"

"So what do you suppose we do about it?" Inner Moka asked, backfliping from another laser.

"I think I have an idea!" he said, seeing the Freak fly towards him. He quickly tucked and rolled as soon as she was within range, ending up underneath her. Raising his Duskcaliber, he slashed the mid section of her body, leaving a blue gash. The Moth Freak screamed in pain from the blow and wound up tumbling in the air.

"_Rrr!"_ the Moth Freak hissed, _"Damn you!"_ She charged at Dusk again, this time with full force. Seeing her come, Dusk swung his sword and fired energy arcs. The Moth Freak flanked and twisted to avoid the blasts, and eventually tackled him with her shoulder before he could get away. He was sent flying across the ground and tumbled on his back. Inner Moka rushed towards her and performed a bicycle kick at her, causing the Freak to backpedal in order to avoid getting hit. Both female monsters traded blows, throwing fists and feet. Inner Moka then kicked her off the ground with a sweep kick and the kicked her again on the chest. This time though, the Freak was ready as she flapped her wings to propel herself back towards Inner Moka and slammed her fist at her chest, sending her skidding back across the grass. With both fighters out of commission for a short moment, she turned to face Kurumu. _"Now for you!"_

Frowning, Kurumu decided that there wasn't any use of hiding. A pair of black, bat-like wings sprouted out of her back and a spade tip tail slipped out from her skirt. Seeing this, the Moth Freak was taken aback.

"_What the-?"_ she exclaimed, _"Are you some kind of freak?"_

"Like you're the one to talk!" Kurumu snapped, taking to the air and jetting herself forward. Her nails lengthened into razor sharp claws and she slashed at the Moth Freak immediately. The Freak roared as the nails managed to penetrate and cut through her skin, drawing out blood. Snarling as she recovered, she swung out her arm to slug her, but Kurumu flapped her wings to spin in midair and slammed both her feet against the Freak's face. She staggered back from the hit and nursed her injuries. Looking around, she saw that both Dusk and Inner Moka had already gotten back up, and were both ready to make a move.

"_Forget this!"_ the Moth Freak huffed, spreading out her wings and taking off into the air.

"You're not getting away!" Dusk yelled as the Moth Freak flew away. He slotted in two Battle Chips into his Battle Driver, activating them.

"**Pincer On! OK! Booster On! OK!"**

A blue rocket pack materialized on Dusk's back. Steam blew out of the thrusters before a flare shot out and impacted the ground. "Blast off!" He shot towards the sky straight at the Moth Freak. She turned her head and saw him gaining on her.

"_No! Get away! Get away!" _she pleaded, shooting more lasers from her antenna.

"Not this time!" Dusk dodged the lasers as he held out four Battle Chips and slotted them in, one by one.

"**Buster On! OK! Buster On! OK! Buster On! OK!**" the Battle Driver announced after Dusk fed three of the Battle Chips into it. It then made a pulsing sound before announcing, "**Triple Charge!**"

When Dusk used three identical Battle Chips at the same time, this could execute a Triple Charge as their power was stacked up. His Pincer Claw started to charge up with power for a magnificent burst of power. However, he wasn't done yet. He slotted in the last Battle Chip.

"**Charging Overdrive!"**

Taking aim with the Pincer Claw, Dusk shouted out, "SHI-YAAAAH!" before firing an intense burst from his weapon. The energy burst took the form of a huge beam of energy which then took on the shape of a roaring dragon. The Moth Freak screamed as the energy beam swallowed her whole. An explosion followed and the Moth Freak fell towards the ground, crashing violently upon landing.

**(Song end)**

Dusk landed and saw the crater where a high school girl lay unconscious. She looked pale, and skinny, nothing but skin and bones now as the Freak Chip had drained her completely. She was going to need a hospital and medical treatment. Was got his attention, however, was something glowing as it hovered from her. It then shot towards him and he caught it in his hand. He opened up his palm and was surprised to find a Battle Chip. It depicted a tornado.

"Might be useful," Dusk stated as he studied the new Battle Chip. Was this what happened to a Freak Chip after it had properly been allowed to mature? Were his Battle Chips originally Freak Chips as well?

* * *

"I'm glad that you're expanding your social circle, but isn't it too soon to be bringing more girls home?" Fran asked. After the girl who'd been the Moth Freak had been apprehended and taken to the hospital for treatment, Shinichi thought it would be prudent to see Fran straight away. Kurumu ended up going along with them. Unfortunately, the bike didn't have enough space for all of them so they had to walk back to Fran's home. Kurumu couldn't help but stare at Fran for a moment. Now, they were seated in the living room with tea and biscuits.

"It's about this," said Shinichi as he showed her the new Battle Chip he had acquired. He then explained how it came to be and her eyes twinkled in interest at the new information.

Fran inspected the Battle Chip and said, "Interesting. At least this gives us some insight on the nature of Battle Chips. So, this Freak displayed intelligence unlike its predecessors?" She then eyed Kurumu, "And this girl is a succumbs, with wings and all? You meet the most interesting girls, Shinichi." He couldn't deny that. He knew Fran, didn't he? She counted as interesting.

"So, Kurono-san, why the sudden interest in my young ward?" Fran asked.

"Well it's because I'm looking for my Destined One," Kurumu answered, blushing.

"Destined One, you say?" Fran smirked. "Don't you know he's a glasses-wearing otaku who spends his free time on video games and plastic models?"

"At least I'm not a mad scientist with an unhealthy fixation on the human anatomy," he countered.

"You say the _sweetest_ things with that silver tongue of yours. Makes me wanna cut it off," Fran giggled with a dry smile on her face. Moka cleared her throat as the two housemates ceased their banter to address the issue again. "Well, since you know about Shinichi, you must swear to keep his secret," Fran stated firmly. "It'll be too troublesome if people came and took him away for experimentation and dissect him. Only I can dissect him."

"See, it's statements like that which make me wonder about our relationship," Shinichi retorted.

"Well, you do know me well."

"It's why I keep my door locked at night."

"So, there are more of these... Freaks out there?" Kurumu asked.

"Yes there are," Moka answered. "Someone is handing out Freak Chips to humans, causing their monster-like transformations. But for who is doing this or why, we don't know."

"That in itself is a mystery, isn't it?" Fran nodded, handing the Gust Chip back to Shinichi. "For all we know, there could be an organization handing those things out to random people. We managed to keep this kind of knowledge from the public so far, but its only a matter of time before this all gets out of hand."

Kurumu frowned softly, digesting the information. From what she's heard so far, these Freaks have been around for a long time. And Shinichi's been fighting them by himself too. Of course, he had Moka, an S-Class vampire, to help him now. And there was Fran to support them by the sidelines. Still, it didn't seem like these monsters were going to stop anytime soon. If anything, they were going to get stronger. Making her decision, she then said, "Let me help!"

"Hm?" Fran blinked, turning to her.

"Eh? Kurono-san?" Shinichi and Moka asked her.

"These Freaks are growing in numbers aren't they? You're going to need all the help you can get!" Kurumu reasoned, "It is the least I can do after the trouble I caused."

"You're willing to do that?" Moka asked her.

"Aren't you?" Kurumu retorted.

"I say the more help the better," Shinichi smiled, "Glad to have you aboard, Kurumu-chan."

The succubus smiled brightly, "Hey, you said my first name!"

"Well, we're friends now. It's only appropriate," Shinichi reasoned kindly. Kurumu giggled cutely as her cheeks slowly turned red. Moka, however, had her left eyebrow twitching in apparent irritation. Fran let out a small "ufufu" behind her hand as she quite amused by the entire scene. Love was definitely a wonderful thing. If only she had a camera on her to capture the moment.

"Glad to see that everyone is getting along so well," Fran smiled, "Now if only there were more people like Shinichi to give us a hand."

"Sure," Shinichi laughed, "How many other friendly cyborgs would just decide appear in the city to fight the Freaks themselves?"

* * *

The streets grew dark as night fell, and there was not a soul around. Well, almost not around as a large Freak was flying through the air over a neighborhood. Like all Freaks, it was humanoid in appearance, but had dark brown fur covering its body from head to toe. It had sharp claws and talons that were sharp enough to cut through flesh. Large wings were spread out from its back as it flew over the area. Its face was that of a bat, which consisted of a large snout, large ears, red glowing eyes and fangs that were clenched in a gruesome smile.

"_This is all too easy!"_ the Bat Freak laughed, _"I can't believe how stealthy this form is! All I have to do take out that Madaraki bitch and I'm home free!"_

"Are you sure sure about that?" a new voice asked.

Before he could turn around to see who was there, an electric bolt came out of no where and hit the monster square in the chest. He cried out from the hit and tumbled down onto the road. He was stunned, the lightning cracking in and out of its body, but slowly managed to get up on its feet. He had more than enough strength to glare at the other side of the street. The Bat Freak could see someone at the end of the street. The night was blocking any of his features from being seen, but he was still visible to an extent.

"_Who are you?"_ the Bat Freak demanded, ready for a fight.

"Me?" the male on the other end of the street said. "I'm just some guy passing through, that's all you need to know."

A light shined onto the boy before it shrank onto the male, forming into a multi-colored orb on his abdomen. A small humming sound could be heard from the orb as the boy took a stance, "Henshin!"

"**Digitizing!"**

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: Kurumu is now a part of Shinichi's admires and another force against the forces of the Freaks. Also, it looks like we learned something new that may connect the Battle Chips with the Freak Chips. And there's someone like Shinichi fighting these things. Those of you familiar with Showa and Vampire should already know who this is. And I've also noticed that a lot of people are faving and following this story, but only one of you is leaving reviews. I can't know how well I'm doing or what you like about this fic unless you guys leave reviews. It's simple, just right something down at the bottom of the window here, that's all it takes.**


	4. The Firefly Shines Through

The Bat Freak tumbled into several trash cans from another blow. It tried to get up on its feet, but a drop kick knocked it back down. As the figure walked towards him, the Bat Freak could idly see that that its eyes and marks on its chest were glowing bright yellow and the gems on his forearms and kneecaps glowed green, which illuminated a small area around him. The sword that it held in its hand was glowing deep blue.

"_Who... who are you?!"_ the Bat Freak struggled to say.

"Like I said," the figure repeated, shouldering his sword, "I'm just some guy passing through." He tapped the orb on his belt and took a stance.

"**Final Download!"**

The blade of the sword glowed in a bright green color that took the appearance of binary codes. The unknown figure then gripped the handle of his sword and swung it at the Bat Freak from the bottom up, the energy blade of digital code cutting through the air before it sliced down through the creature. A green gash appeared on the Bat Freak as the figure closed in and slashed his sword as he moved and weaved around, streaks of light slicing through the air and appearing on the Kaijin's body. Then he appeared in front of the Bat Freak and stabbed the sword into his gut, so far that it pushed out his back. He withdrew the sword and turned around swiftly, back kicking the Bat Freak as he did. Even before the Freak landed, he exploded in a bright flash of flames. A man tumbled out of the explosion, looking like nothing more than skin and bone, a side effect from all of the Freak Chips.

"Whew," the figure sighed as he took a relaxed stance. He threw his sword down as the blade sank through the dirt. The weapon seemed to distortent for a short moment before vanishing in what appeared to be a code of data. Looking down at his belt, he tapped on the core of his belt.

"**Rebooting!"**

The was a destorent field on his suit as it shined and flickered before the figure's body changed shape. Instead of an body with glowing sections which looked like it was covered in armor, the figure now looked like he was wearing slightly loose clothes. Walking towards the pale man, he watched as a chip phased out of his body and float above him before it shot into the figure's hand. Opening his hand, he found a Battle Chip, which depicted the image of soundwaves.

"Well, that's one more we won't have to worry about," the figure, obviously male, shrugged.

"Airen!" a female voice shouted.

The figure turned around and watched another figure running towards him. This figure was obviously female, as suggested from from her voice and curves. However, once she got up to him, she appeared to be slightly taller than him. Also, she appeared to have animal ears on her head.

"So, looks like you got him?" the girl asked, looking over to the skinny man. She seemed to be speaking in a light Chinese accent.

"Yeah," the boy nodded, "And he dropped this." He showed the girl the Battle Chip. She picked it up from his hand and examined it.

"This is the third Chip we got so far," the girl nodded, "I guess he was one of the stronger ones."

"If he was, the fight wouldn't have been so short. He might have been one of the stronger monsters, but he didn't know how to use the powers all that well," the boy pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess that's true," the girl agreed, folding her arms. "I guess it was a good thing we came to this town. There's a lot of those monsters crawling around."

"At least there's someone doing something about it," the boy said, "A guy with armor like mine. If we're lucky we might even be able to run into him."

"That is if he's willing to work with us," the girl pressed on.

"I'm sure he will," the boy reassured. He reached his pocket to get his phone. "And we should call an ambulance to get this guy to the hospital."

"And we start out new school later during the week," she added. "So we should get some rest." She hooked her arm with his playfully, and though it couldn't be seen in the dark, she smiled foxily. "I'm really looking forward for some lovin' with you."

"Y-yeah, how can I forget?" the male stuttered slightly. The pair walked together down the road, pressing their bodies intimately as they did.

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 4: The Firefly Shines Through**

* * *

Shinichi was in his room and working diligently on a new model. He was just about to put in the finishing touches. "OK, steady hands. Keep your hands steady," he instructed himself softly as he fit the final piece to the model. He then exhaled and leaned back in his seat to admire his work. "Perfect."

Shinichi's room was what one would expect from a teenager. He had posted decorating the wall, a desk with a shrivel chair, a bed and also a bookshelf. However, besides books, the shelf was occupied by Gundam plastic models. He had shown an interest in the model kits and bought one and since then had started collecting. He had even built custom models ones ones he got the hang of it. He also had a television set which had a gaming console hooked up to it. Shinichi enjoyed collecting plastic model kits. He would buy the new ones as soon as they came out and then spend hours to complete them. He always got them done perfectly and made sure there were no flaws when he put them together. It was his favorite hobby since he was able to build things instead of breaking stuff.

His cell phone rang and he picked it up to answer, "Moshi moshi. Who am I speaking to?"

"_Hey, man. What's up?_" Takeru asked.

"Oh, nothing much," Shinichi said casually. "Just finished another Gundam model."

"_You know, one of these days, you really should show us your collection, dude,_" Takeru remarked.

"I'll send you a picture. So, what are you calling for?" Shinichi asked.

"_Well, it's kinda been awhile since it's been just us guys hanging out. So, Saji says we should go paintballing_," Takeru answered. "_So, you in or out?_"

"I'm in," Shinichi grinned. "I mean, it's Sunday. And Sunday also rhymes with..."

"_Funday! That's right! Just us guys!_" Takeru grinned from the other end. "_So, meet us at the Paintball Club at 2 and bring your gear!_"

"Gotcha. Ja ne," Shinichi said before ending the call.

* * *

Shinichi parked his bike and with his bag of equipment entered the Paintball Club. He stood in the lobby looking for his friends and found both Saji and Takeru in their normal, non-school attire. Takeru had on a blue hoodie with blue jeans and sneakers. The hoodie had #1 PLAYER on the back. Saji, on the other hand, wore camouflage cargo pants, combat boots and a red t-shirt with dog tags hanging from his neck. The short sleeves and tight shirt really showed off his class rep's physique.

"Hey, guys!" Shinichi jogged over to his friends and greeted them. Shinichi himself was wearing a black shirt with a black vest over it. His jeans were dark blue and he was wearing black sneakers.

"Dude, you made it!" Takeru hi-fived Shinichi.

"Good to see you came well-equipped, soldier," Saji grunted. "I was just about to book us a match."

"So, just the three of us against who?" Shinichi asked curiously.

"Does it matter? We're gonna dominate them!" Takeru grinned.

"Just don't go knocking people out and teabagging them," Saji reminded.

"Dude, I only do that on Halo! I doubt I could do that in real life! Plus, that's gay!" Takeru shot back.

"Come on, you guys. Let's gear up and head inside the paintball course," Shinichi urged.

"You're right. Let's kick some ass!" Saji said as he, Takeru and Shinichi started to get their gear on. They made sure their paintball guns were in working order and also bought enough paintballs for ammunition. They also made sure their protective padding was on tight and that their masks were on properly. The masks were important. A paintball to the eye could blind someone.

"Men," Saji began as they stood in front of the entrance of the course, "We have only one objective: grab the flag and pwn some noobs! Are ya with me?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Takeru and Shinichi saluted.

"Alright. Now, once we step foot in there you will refer to me as 'Sarge'," Saji reminded. "Now, onwards men! To victory!" Saji marched forth quickly with his friends following him into the course, all of them yelling out in battle cries.

* * *

For the umpteenth time, Moka checked herself to see if she looked alright as she stood in front of the Madaraki Manor. She was dressed in some casual, yet well dressed clothing which consisted of a black shirt with a white sleeveless vest, a red mini skirt with white pantyhose and simple black shoes. She was going to ask Shinichi to go out on a walk with her.

She had been standing in front of the gate with a blush on her face, her finger hanging in front of the doorbell. Just why was she hesitating?

"What are you doing here?" That sudden question made the vampire jump in shock and she spun around to glare hotly at the succubus who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Kurumu!?" Moka exclaimed. "Why are you here?"

"Hey, I asked first!" Kurumu retorted. Like Moka, she was also dressed in casual clothing, which was a yellow long sleeved shirt with tight jeans and brown boots. Kurumu blinked in realization and a smile plastered on her face, "Oh-ho-ho, so you're here to ask Shinichi out on a date too, right?"

"What!? No!" Moka yelped in denial, a blush on her face. "I just wanted to see if he would like to take a walk with me. That's all."

"That in itself is still a date," Kurumu pointed out. "I mean, a boy and a girl walking together? What do you think that sounds like?"

"Well... I thought it would be..." Moka stuttered, pressing both her fingers together as she blushed. Before Moka could answer, the door opened up and the bloodhound headed butler, Howl appeared at the doorway.

"May I help you to ladies?" he asked.

"Um... is Shinichi here?" Moka asked.

"I am sorry, but Master Shinichi is away at the moment," Howl informed them. "He has gone paintballing with his friends in the name of male bonding. Mademoiselle is also busy conducting a research project so I'm afraid that she must not be disturbed at this time."

"Research project?" Kurumu asked. After learning about the stitched up doctor, she found her to be a very strange human- if she could even be called that anyway. Still, she dared to ask, "Research on what?"

"I doubt that it would be a wise idea to tell you," Howl said, "But if you must know, she is searching for chemicals that can kill cockroaches on a genetic level. She had gotten a call from a pharmaceutical company just this morning to ask for her assistance."

"R-roaches?" Moka gasped, her face paling. Kurumu wasn't far behind as her pupils shrank upon hearing the word. Oh how she hated the creepy-crawly insects that would squish under her heels. The bugs that ate the feces of just about any creature. She could only guess is that if someone hired Fran to find a way to destroy such a disgusting insect race that would be able to survive a nuclear apocalypse, they must hate roaches even more than she did.

"Yes, and she will unavailable for the duration of a week or so," Howl confirmed. He rubbed his doggy chin. "I dare say, Mademoiselle would most likely benefit from having a few extra hands to help with her project. Perhaps you two ladies could lend some assistance? You might learn something."

"NO!" Moka shouted in panic. Then she coughed and blushed, remembering her manners, "I mean, eh... no thank you."

"Yeah, we'll just get going," Kurumu smiled forcibly, "If Shinichi comes back, tell him we stopped by."

"Very well," Howl nodded, "Have a pleasant day, ladies." He went back into the manor and closed the door behind him.

"So, he went paintballing with the guys," Kurumu stated, the thought of creepy crawly roaches out of her brain for the moment.

"That's what Howl-san said. Do you know where?" Moka asked Kurumu.

"I'm still new in town so I really don't know the place that well. That's why I wanted to go out with Shinichi so he could show me around," Kurumu answered while deep down she was thinking, '_And maybe find a nice Love Hotel while we're at it_.'

* * *

After a very one sided match, Shinichi, Saji and Takeru were seated at a table in the Paintball Club's snack area, already enjoying the fruits of their victory. The trio of teenage boys were laughing and having a good job as they were free to act like teen boys normally did with no girls around to adjust their attitudes.

"Did you see how many headshots I got?" Shinichi asked excitedly. "They never knew what hit them!"

"We know, dude," Takeru rolled his eyes, munching on his chilli dog. "But seriously, that was impressive shooting. Even from that distance and with all those obstacles."

"I just have a knack for it, you know?" Shinichi replied as he took a sip of his soda. Fighting Freaks on a regular basis sometimes got to Shinichi so hanging out with his two humans friends made him feel normal.

"Hey, did I tell you about the time I blasted that monster with my BB gun?" Saji started. Takeru groaned.

"Ugh, we know. You've been telling us that story for days. Seriously, you went and saved Shinichi and the girls. We get it," Takeru retorted.

"Yeah, but my life was saved by that guy in armor. I wonder who he is. If I knew I'd be able to repay him. He saved my life," Saji remarked.

Shinichi couldn't help but smile and said, "I'm sure that knowing you're safe is thanks enough, Saji-san."

"So, Shinichi," Takeru said after taking a bite out of his burger, "Can you teach me how you got two girls crushing on you?"

"This again?" Shinichi cocked an eyebrow. "I'm telling you the girls are just friends." He took another sip of soda.

"Well, my sources tell me that Moka gives you hickeys on the neck in the back of the school during lunch," Takeru replied and Shinichi nearly choked on his drink.

"Damn rumor mill," Shinichi grumbled.

Saji whistled, "Damn, already? And you just met the girl like, what? A week already? And she's already given you love bites? There's also Kurumu who's pinning for ya. What about her, eh?"

Shinichi blushed. Really, if he could tell them what was going on, he would. However, he couldn't. He had to keep Kurumu and Moka's secrets. They were doing the same for him.

"So, what's that about?" Takeru asked and Shinichi quickly stood up.

"I need to use the bathroom!" Shinichi said quickly before darting off.

Takeru blinked, "You... think we might've pushed him to far?"

"I guess. He has been acting pretty strange lately," Saji remarked.

"Really? I haven't really noticed. The only thing I've noticed is that he has two of the hottest girls in school on each arm!" Takeru excalmed. "When's my time gonna come? When's my ship gonna set sail?"

"Buddy, I don't know what to tell ya," Saji shrugged, "Some guys got the magic touch, and others don't."

* * *

Shinichi was in the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror while having a conversation with himself. He removed his glasses and sighed.

"I really hate lying to them," whispered Shinichi. Saji and Takeru were his best friends and his only human friends in the school. They had come up to him and offered their friendship, no questions asked. However, there was a gap between them. Shinichi had to keep a lot of secrets from them not just for his own safety but for theirs as well. He just couldn't risk it. They weren't like Moka or Kurumu and while Saji could put up a good fight he just wasn't strong enough against Freaks. Takeru could end up killed as well. So, Shinichi had to keep his identity as Dusk a secret from his best friends. He hated lying to them but that was the price he had to pay to keep them safe from harm.

* * *

"Soooo, what do you feel like doing?" Kurumu asked Moka. Both girls were currently walking down on the sidewalk, pondering what to do with Shinichi spending time with his friends.

"What do you mean?" Moka asked.

"I mean, do you know anyplace where we can have fun? I mean, just because we both want the same guy doesn't mean we can't hang out."

"Well, since you put it like that," Moka said, tapping her chin, "We could go to the mall and do a bit of shopping."

"Now you're speaking my language," Kurumu grinned. "Well, come on then! Let's go shop till we drop!"

* * *

**(Insert song - Fresh Again - Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation)**

Kurumu seemed to be in her element at the mall, specifically the clothing boutiques and shoe stores. As a succubus she was supposed to be fashion savvy as a succubus' main weapon wasn't just their ability to Charm men but also to use their own natural beauty to their advantage. Tales of humans regarding the succubi often described them having unearthly beauty. Then again, that had been in a poem written by a man who had loved a succubus.

Moka and Kurumu were in a shoe store, trying out some shoes together on a bench. Without Shinichi around, the two could be civil with each other and Moka had forgiven Kurumu for her attempt to take control Shinichi. However, the succubus still intended to make Shinichi her Destined One. However, she would need some more information on him. The pink-haired vampire was friends with Shinichi but Kurumu recognized her as a rival. However, that didn't mean they couldn't try to get along.

"So, Shinichi lives with Madaraki-san, right?" Kurumu asked.

"Yes," Moka confirmed.

"So, what about his family?" Kurumu questioned.

"As far as he's concerned he doesn't have any blood relatives. It doesn't seem to bother him, though," Moka answered. "He admits that Madaraki-san is the closest thing he has to family. Her, along with the other residents of the manor."

"Well, it explains how he didn't freak out after knowing what we were," Kurumu stated. Any normal human would've panicked. Then again, Shinichi wasn't a normal human being. In fact he had told her that he wasn't sure what he was most of the time.

"Living with Madaraki-san, according to Shinichi-kun, is quite an experience in itself," Moka agreed. Fran was a woman who had metal bolts in her temples and had a stitch across her face. She was an intimidating woman and a bit eccentric but Shinichi was very cordial with her. If Moka were to measure their relationship based on their interaction, they were either really close friends or had a brother-sister relationship.

"Yeah, a regular house of horrors," joked Kurumu. At least she knew that Shinichi didn't hate her for being a succubus. To him it was about their behavior, not their species. "So, what's the deal with him and his belt?"

"You do remember that he's a cyborg, right?" Moka reminded. Shinichi had told them what he was. It was only fair that they knew what he was. Also, he couldn't be sure most of the time. "It's something that was built into him while his body was modified."

"Yeah, but who modified him?" Kurumu asked.

"He doesn't know and neither does Madaraki-san," Moka answered. "He can't really remember much of his past."

"Must be terrible to not know if he had any family," frowned Kurumu.

"I know what you mean," Moka agreed. "But he doesn't seem to care much." That, however, could be a facade. Maybe he just didn't want to worry them nor did he want any sympathy. He was just moving forward, never looking back. He was the type of guy who cared more about what was happening in the present.

**(End song)**

* * *

"So, who are we up against?" Shinichi asked as he, Saji and Takeru reentered the course. The course was a dense forest terrain with plenty of cover for them to hide and survey their surroundings. It also made good cover for ambushes and sneak attacks. The course used realistic, artificial trees but real dirt under their feet.

"Just one guy," Takeru said. Shinichi blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Just one guy," Saji repeated. "And he's damn good. He beat every other team solo."

"So, what's the plan?" Shinichi asked.

"We split up and flank him and then we show him why we're the reigning champs," Saji instructed. "You got your radios on?" Their masks had radios installed in them so they could communicate when separated.

"It's on," Shinichi confirmed.

"Mine too," Takeru affirmed.

"OK, as I said, we'll split up and flank him. Ready? Break!" Saji said. The three friends took different directions as they walked deeper into the course. As they were walking through the trees, they failed to notice a lone figure kneeling down on a branch, watching them run ahead before jumping into the trees.

* * *

Around the lobby, several television screens were lined up along the walls, which allowed the spectators to view the action in real time. Among those spectators was a very pretty Chinese girl. Her hair was brown and reached past her shoulders and what seemed to be folded fox ears rested on her head. Her deep blue eyes glimmered as she had a refreshing smile on her face. Her figure was also something that was considered-gawk worthy. She was slim with an hourglass figure and very tall for her age, like an amazonian beauty. She was wearing a sleeveless red Chinese top which was silky smooth and had flower patterns on it. She also wore tight jeans which showed off her curves along with brown zipper boots that reached her knees. Taking a small sip of her soda as she leaned on the wall, her smile grew as she eyed the screens, "This should be good."

* * *

Takeru was looking for their target while maintaining radio communications with his friends. He spoke softly; the radios would transmit their voice at a proper volume anyway so that they could be heard clearly.

"Aqua Bandit to Sarge," Takeru transmitted, "You see him?"

"_Nada. No sign of the target,"_ Saji reported over the radio line, _"Black Ace, any visual on the target?"_

"_That's a negatory, Sarge," _Shinichi said. "_Maybe he's watching us as we speak._"

"_That's kinda creepy_," remarked Saji.

"Great, now _I'm_ getting paranoid," mumbled Takeru. "Well, just keep looking. He can't keep hiding and he has to show up sometime."

"_Got it,"_ Shinichi spoke.

"_Roger,"_ Saji added.

Takeru cut the connection and continued to tread slowly through the grass, crouched down and his gun armed, mimicking the movements of an actual soldier. He made sure to be aware of the corners and sides around the field just to make sure that he couldn't be taken by surprise. "Alright, where are you...?" he whispered softly.

"Over here."

Takeru whirled around and readied his gun to fire at the sound of the whisper. However, there was no one there. Frowning, he slowly lowered his weapon. "What was-?"

There was a small click sound, which alerted Takeru again. He raised his gun to the right, only for his eyes to widen as a grenade came flying at him. And it was armed.

"Ah hell."

**BOOM!**

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Shinichi exclaimed out of reflex in response to the explosion. He looked over the distance to where the noise came from, "What the hell was that!?"

"_OK, tell me you heard that,_" Saji transmitted through the radio.

"How could I not hear that?" retorted Shinichi rhetorically. "We better check it out."

"_Yeah, meet you there. Over and out._"

* * *

"Found him!" Shinichi called Saji over. Saji and Shinichi both found Takeru lying on the ground and covered from head to toe in multicolored paint.

"Well, shit," Saji spoke so eloquently.

"What happened?" Shinichi asked as he helped his friend up.

"The asshole took me by surprise," Takeru grunted. "Had some kind of paint grenade, or something. I think that's why I heard a bang."

"Clever bastard," Saji gritted. Paint grenades were also allowed but still pretty expensive. "Well, this just means you're out," stated Saji.

Shinichi nodded and then blinked as he saw a red dot glowing on Saji's mask. "Er...Saji-san. You have something on your mask."

"I told you to call me 'Sarge'," Saji reminded. "And what do you mean-?"

Suddenly, Saji was pelted with multiple paintballs and Shinichi immediately dove for cover.

"God dammit!" Saji swore.

"Haha!" Takeru laughed. Saji aimed his paintball gun in his face. Takeru raised his hand in a placating manner, "Whoa, easy there."

"Looks like you're both out," Shinichi said.

"Black Ace, it's all up to you. Avenge us. AVENGE US!" Saji exclaimed dramatically.

"Yeah, will do, Shinichi. I need to get this shit off me," Takeru said with a frown as he dragged Saji away.

"AVENGE US!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it," Shinichi sighed, turning around he had his eyes narrowed. Now he was all alone against a single opponent. Said opponent seemed to know how use military tactics or at least was just very cunning and had some custom equipment. Well, Shinichi had his own custom equipment built into his body.

"Alright, whoever you are," Shinichi spoke menacingly as he cocked his paintgun, his eyes glowing red, "Game On."

* * *

Meanwhile, Moka and Kurumu had paid for what they wanted to get and were already walking through the mall with bags of new clothing. Of course, since they are both growing girls they still felt like they needed more garbs. Looking around, Kurumu spotted one particular store.

"You know, I think we should check that store out next," Kurumu pointed. Moka saw and her eyes bulged.

"Swimsuits?" Moka asked, blushing.

"Hey, if we got it we need to flaunt it," Kurumu winked. "I heard there's a great beach near the city."

"But... I can't swim!" Moka said defensively, "Us vampires can't handle water without getting hurt!"

"Oh, no need to worry about that," Kurumu waved off, "Just being on the beach and flashing your goodies is good enough. Swimsuits are meant to show off our bodies without being absolutely naked." That was what her mother had taught her. Besides, bikinis provided the same covering as bra and panties and were sometimes even less modest that undergarments. It was acceptable still because everyone went half-naked on the beach.

Moka blushed at the thought of it. Having never gone to a beach due to the weakness of her species, she never pictured bikinis being used in such a way other than swimwear. That and she never really considered using her body like that. "I didn't think of it that way..."

"I'm honestly surprised that you never did," Kurumu shrugged, walking excitedly into the store. "But its no big deal. Come on, I'll show ya some of the more sexier bikinis!"

"W-wait for me!" Moka shouted, running after her.

* * *

**(Insert song - Those Who Fight -Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children)**

Shinichi walked carefully when his ear picked up the sound of a paint gun being fired. He ducked and then performed a dodge roll to get behind a large boulder. Paintballs pelted the rock, covering it in paint stains. He was a sitting duck but he wasn't going to let someone beat him like this. The firing ceased and Shinichi decided it was time to get out of his cover. He heard the gunfire again and dodged before returning fire. He ducked and hid behind another tree, firing on occasion.

"This is getting me nowhere," grumbled Shinichi as he opened up the paintball gun's chamber and reloaded his ammunition. He heard footsteps and he could hear them getting closer. He jumped to the side and fired at his opponent who he could see had been trying to sneak towards him. His opponent jumped to the side and then tossed a paint grenade at Shinichi. Shinichi saw the grenade coming and with the butt of his paintball gun, batted it away before it detonated. He then rushed at his opponent who was recovering. He fired but the guy ducked before aiming for Shinichi's stomach. He pivoted on his heel, dodging the paintball bullet by an inch as it flew past him. He heard more shots and leaned back to dodge before he flipped backwards. While in midair he fired but his opponent was able to duck and let the ammo fly.

Crouching down low, the opponent paused before letting a paint bullet loose. Just before hitting the ground, Shinichi launched a bullet of his own. The two ammo went past each other before simultaneously hitting their targets, the opponent on the chest, and Shinichi on the back. Both of the stopped after that as they were both outed from the hits.

**(End song)**

Sighing, the opponent stood up and said, "Looks like it's a draw."

"Yeah, I'll say," Shinichi agreed, standing up also. "Good game, man."

"Yeah, you too," the opponent nodded, shaking his hand. "Well, see you later I guess." Waving, he went another way to find and the exit.

Shinichi watched him go before leaving to another exit himself. He wondered who the guy could be to be able to keep up with him. Maybe he would bump into him again? Only time would tell.

* * *

Saji and Takeru had gotten themselves cleaned up and changed just in time to see the action on the lobby's screens.

"OK, seriously, Shinichi can _really _move," Takeru remarked in awe.

"No doubt he has had incredible military training which he has kept a secret from me," Saji assumed.

"Or he's part spider monkey, which explains the agility," countered Takeru.

* * *

Shinichi exited the course and got himself cleaned up. He removed his mask and let out a sigh, "OK, that was intense." His opponent had been able to keep up with him. Not many could do that. Nobody normal at least.

"Hey man!" Takeru shouted over as he waved. Shinichi smiled as he walked up to his, "That was totally wicked! It was like watching an action movie!"

"Well, what can I say?" Shinichi snickered, rubbing the back of his head, "I'm a bit of a badass."

"And yet you love to build plastic toys," Saji said.

"_Models_!" Shinichi shot back defensively. "They are complicated, assembly required, plastic _models_!"

"Uh huh, sure," Saji nodded skeptically.

"You just don't understand the patience and dedication it takes to build one," grumbled Shinichi with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, maybe," Saji admitted, "...Then again, that's what havin' an assembly line is for. That way I can hire folks to do the work for me. That's what all the toy companies do anyway."

Shinichi was about to retort but sucked in his breath and said, "You know what? We can argue over my hobby all day long. The fact is that I lasted longer and took out the guy who beat you. So I got taken out as well but at least I took him with me."

"He's got a point," Takeru agreed.

"Sure, sure," Saji submitted, "Well, come on. Let's get to an arcade or somethin'."

"How about we try laser tag next?" Takeru suggested. "All the fun of paintball without any of the mess."

"More shoot outs without the mess? No problem!" Shinichi grinned. "But first, how about we head on over to the food court first for a bite to eat?"

"An excellent suggestion, Shinichi," Saji agreed. "Let's go."

* * *

A little while after Shinichi and his friends left, the opponent who ended up in a draw with Shinichi walked out after cleaning up. "Wow, what a rush." He removed his helmet and revealed a very youthful face. He had short, chin length black hair and bright red eyes. He was notably quite short, shorter than most boys his age. The brown haired Chinese girl came up to him and grabbed him in a hug, which he returned. The height difference was clear as she was slightly taller than him.

"You did great, Airen," the girl congratulated as she released him, though had her arms around his neck.

"It still ended in a draw," the boy reply, "He was pretty good. His speed and reflexes are something you don't see very often."

"Now that you mention it, his skills did look pretty unnatural for a normal human," the girl thought out loud, "And he wasn't a youkai either. If anything, he could almost be like you."

"Huh. That's interesting," the boy remarked. "We might have to look into that later. Anyway, how about we got grab a bite at the food court?"

"Sounds good to me," the girl smile, looping her right arm around him as they walked to the food court.

* * *

The Man in Black walked around the mall, looking for people he could infect next with his Freak Chips. People seemed to look at him oddly due to the way he was dressed, but he simply ignored the stares. This mall should have the right kind of people. All he had to do was find the best ones that could help him achieve his goal. Writing around in his pocket, the Freak Chips seemed ready for some anarchy.

* * *

"Mou! We bought so much!" Moka whined as she and Kurumu walked out of the third clothing store. She was holding a total of four bags; two in her hands and another two in her arms.

"Hey, quit complaining!" Kurumu retorted, also holding four bags in her arms, "It's what girls do, ya know! Didn't you ever go on a shopping spree before?"

"Not really," Moka answered, "I had servants do the shopping for me. This is actually my first outing, believe it or not."

"What, really?" Kurumu's eyes widened in shock as she nearly dropped her bags, "You have servants? Your family must be loaded!"

Moka sighed, "Yes. In fact I lived in a castle that's much bigger than Fran-san's home. I had servants waiting on me hand and foot every day and I hated every moment of it."

"What about family?" her self-proclaimed rival pressed on.

"I can't say that we were close..." Moka said slowly, "But I do have sisters who love me, if a bit too much."

"Must be nice," Kurumu remarked.

"It is most of the time," Moka said. Looking up, she spotted three familiar faces walking nearby. Smiling, she called over for their attention, "Shinichi-kun, Saji-san, Takeru-san!"

"Hm?" Shinichi looked up and waved as he smiled. "Oh, hey girls! How's it going?"

"Looks like you guys are doing some shopping," Takeru noticed as he and the others walked over to the two girls. "So what got you girls in the mood, huh? Bought any raunchy lingerie for our boy here?" Moka blushed at what Takeru was implying. For embarrassing the poor girl, Saji slapped him upside the head. "Ow!"

"Ignore the idiot," Saji advised, "He's just being a perv." Shinichi chuckled and then turned to speak with the girls.

"So, you girls came to do some shopping, huh?" Shinichi asked. "Together?"

"Well, not at first," Moka admitted. "You see I came to your house earlier."

"You did?" Shinichi asked. "Why?"

"Well, it's the weekend and I wanted to hang out," Moka answered.

"And Kurumu-san?" Shinichi asked.

"I wanted to hang out with you too," Kurumu admitted. Actually, she wanted to have a date with him. "But we were told you went to hang out with your friends instead. Paintballing."

"Oh, yeah, we did," Shinichi grinned as he patted his backpack. "Got our equipment right here."

"Did you have fun?" Moka questioned, curious.

"Oh, we did," Shinichi grinned.

"Shin was a beast! He took down a guy before we left! It was awesome!" Takeru praised.

"It ended in a draw, Takeru," Shinichi retorted.

"Well, he took me and Sarge down without even trying. You should've won," Takeru reasoned.

"So, where are you boys headed?" Kurumu asked.

Saji replied, "The food court. All that running around and shooting a paintball gun can give a guy an appetite, don't ya know? Hehe. Would you ladies like to join us?"

"Well, we were heading there too." Kurumu smiled and asked, "But these bags are _so _heavy. Would you boys mind carrying them?"

"OK!/Roger!" Takeru and Saji accepted her request and took her and Moka's bags off them. Moka and Shinichi gave Kurumu a look of disapproval. She must've used her Charm to convince Saji and Takeru to take their bags.

* * *

The Man in Black grinned as he eyed a familiar group of teenagers from afar. "Right on cue it seems," he muttered to himself. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a trio of Freak Chips as they were clenched between his fingers. The emotion on his face becoming unreadable, he flung the chips high into the air before gravity took hold of them and brought them down on the unsuspecting people.

* * *

A young woman was walking out from from one of the shoe stores, stretching her arms as she did. The look on her face suggested that she was "Damn it, if I have to help one more stuck up little wench, I swear I'm gonna break something. Ugh! I hate my life sometimes!" the young woman shouted.

"Kodachi! Hurry up and finish your break and then get your ass back in here!" the store owner shouted from inside.

"Alright! Just let me have my break! I've been working since morning!" Kodachi shouted back. "Goddamn it... one of these days I'd like to give him a piece of my mind..." she muttered to herself as she went to a nearby vending machine to buy a drink. Unknown to her, a Freak Chip landed onto the back of her neck.

Sitting nearby, a young man as sipping on a soda while flipping through a manga book. He didn't seem to pay much mind to anyway as he was so intent on reading what happened next. That proved to be costly as a second Freak Chip fell on his shoulder.

Over a corner, another young woman tapped her foot impatiently and looked at her watch. Apparently, she was waiting for someone, as if on a date. "Geez, what's taking him?" she sighed under her breath. "I swear, if he's late again..." as she was complaining to herself, she failed to take notice of a Freak Chip landing on her head.

The three seeds have now been planted. No sooner than that, hell broke loose as the wires took hold of their hosts in very painful transformations.

* * *

The couple from earlier were still at the snack area of the Paintball Club enjoying their lunch. They mostly sat in silence as they watched other paintball teams go on with their matches. As they were enjoy each other's company, an alarm sounded from the boy's pocket. Alerted, the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a Nintendo 3DS XL. Opening the device, he found on the lower screen radar several red dots blinking near the center.

"Three monsters!" the boy analyzed, frowning. "And they're close!"

"Then let's go," the girl said, a look of determination on her face. The boy nodded quickly before the duo took off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shinichi's ahoge stood up straight and twitched in place. His eyes narrowed as he let out a curse through gritted teeth. He was seated with his friends at a table in the centre of the food court. There were a lot of tables and there were multiple stalls on either side of the wide area which served an assortment of food. Whatever you wanted, you could go and get. You wanted Chinese food, there was Chinese food. You wanted Italian food, there was Italian food. If you wanted fast food, there was fast food.

The group had just sat down to eat when Shinichi felt that strange tingle that alerted him of the presence of a Freak. No, this was stronger. Two? No, it was too strong to be two Freaks? Three. Three Freaks. That was bad.

And they were close. Then as soon as Shinichi sensed them, multiple screams rang in the air, causing the five friends to jump out of their seats in surprise.

Already there was a crowd in a panic as one of the Freaks traversed through the escaping mob. The Crab Freak was red in color, its exoskeleton looking as thick as steel. Like all Freaks, it had a humanoid body, but that was were the human-like appearance ended. It had four sets of arms, each one with large pincers that clicked together. It had two eye stalks attached to the head and a large mouth that had rows of teeth. It also had a crab foot acting as though it was a right leg while the other leg looked like an actual foot. It was very masculine too. The five friends all stopped in their tracks as they saw the monster coming closer, randomly smashing whatever it came across with its claws.

"Aw hell no!" Takeru cursed, "Not another one! What is this, monster season?"

"Not the one to ask!" Shinichi retorted. "Come on, we have to move or else we'll be seafood for the crab guy!"

"Right! Evacuation procedures! Go! Go!" Saji ordered as they ran.

Shinichi ran alongside the girls and whispered to Moka, "I'm gonna find a safe place to transform. You and Kurumu-chan should get out of here with Saji-san and Takeru!"

"What if you need help?" Moka asked, worried.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful," Shinichi reassured. "I'll catch up with you later. Get going!" Hesitantly, Moka nodded. That was all he needed before vanishing into the crowd of people. He had to squeeze himself through the vast mob of people before finally managing to duck into a corner near the bathrooms and hid behind the wall.

"Well isn't this romantic," Shinichi muttered to himself silently. "Of all the places for them to show up, it had to be here. I guess it's time for me to clean up again." His Battle Driver materialized around his waist as he pulled out his Battle Chip. Quickly he slotted the chip in.

"**Stand By! OK?"**

Waving his arms around in a circle, Shinichi hit the pads on the sides of his belt and let out the activation code of, "Hen...shin!"

"**Change! OK!" **

"**Complete: Dusk!"**

**(Insert song - Powerdizer Deformation - Kamen Rider Fourze)**

Once the cocoon shattered, Dusk leaped into action. He charged into the Crab Freak and kicked it in the midsection. It was sent flying and smashed into several stands. The Crab Freak made some odd clicking sounds as it slowly stood up and stared down at Dusk. Dusk cracked his fists as he eyed the Freak. "Now then... let's get this over with."

The Crab Freak seemed to agree as it made more clicking sounds and charged at him. It swung its meaty arms as the pincers snapped loudly at his head with each swing, but the armored cyborg was able to avoid getting his head removed. Rolling over to avoid another pincer, he produced another Battle Chip from his hand and slotted into his Driver.

"**Duskaliber On! OK!"** the belt shouted as the window depicted the image of his selected sword.

The energy great sword appeared in his hand in an instant. Now fully armed, Dusk slashed at the Crab Freak through the side. It roared as the energy blade ran through it caused sparks to fly out. It stumbled back before regaining its footing and started to spit out bubbles. Knowing all too well that being hit by the bubbles wasn't good, he swung wildly as energy arcs shot out of the blade. Their aim was accurate as they all struck the bubbles and, as Dusk predicted, the bubbles exploded. In bright flaming booms. Dusk was blown back from the shock wave, but managed to regain his footing as he skid backwards. However, the Freak came charging in from the smoke and collided with him.

The two smashed into a coffee shop and mowed down tables and chairs on their way in. The wood and various other materials got smashed quickly as the fighters made their dramatic entry. The Crab Freak threw Dusk over the counter, causing him to knock over a coffee maker and spill the hot liquid onto the ground and on himself. With armor as tough as his, Dusk was barely able to feel the hot sting of the coffee as he stood back up. Glaring at the Crab Freak for a moment, he looked down at his hand and stared at the recently acquired Gust Chip.

"Hmm... maybe," Dusk nodded. It worked with all the other Battle Chips he had in his possession, so maybe this one could work all the same. He hopped onto the counter and jumped upward, avoiding a flying table that the Crab Freak threw. Flipping over, he slammed his feet into the Freak's face and sent it flying out of the shop by smashing through the window. As the glass shards flew and scattered from the impact, Dusk inserted the chip into his belt, "Let's see what this baby can do!"

"**Gust On! OK!"**

A small cyclone swirled around his feet and the debris picked up around him soon after. Dusk looked at the winds around him, taking in his new Chip's ability. Deciding to see what he could do, he ran out of the shop and towards the recovering Crab Freak in a sudden burst of speed. As he reached it, he smashed his fist against it in an uppercut. It was sent flying upward and to the second floor of the mall, landing back on the balconies once it fell. Dusk jumped after it and landed a few feet away. He slashed his sword and sent wind coated energy arcs which cut through the air and smashed against the Freak's chest. It clicked in pain and rage as each impact exploded with gusts of wind.

Dusk looked in awe at this new power, "So, along with giving me wind attributed attacks, my speed and reaction time gets increased as well. That's pretty awesome." He frowned as the Crab Freak stood back up and spat out several explosive bubbles again. "As much as I would love to experiment, I have to wrap this up," he said before speeding forward.

* * *

Kurumu and Moka stood outside the mall with the rest of the evacuees. The vampire gazed at the doors as the succubus was getting anxious. Saji and Takeru had noticed that Shinichi had gone missing and assumed he must've gotten lost in the crowd. The police had been called and were likely on their way.

"I don't like this," admitted Kurumu as she chewed on her thumbnail. "We should be in there helping him."

"He doesn't want us to expose ourselves," Moka argued.

Kurumu snapped, "And that makes it OK?"

"No, but he'll be fine. He has to be." She was clutching her rosary seal tightly. "He has to be," she repeated. Shinichi was a fighter, even her inner self had acknowledged that. He was a warrior, fighting fiercely for a cause. She had seen his resolve and his strength. He would not be beaten so easily. So, why was a feeling of unease tugging at her heart?

* * *

Empowered with the Gust Chip, Dusk was now practically running circles around the Freak, zipping around as it struggled to keep up. He streaked around it and sent slash after slash as he passed by, not giving it any breathing room. He skid to a stop and threw his Duskaliber like a boomerang as it was engulfed with wind pressure. The spinning weapon turned into a dusk as it flew towards the Freak and hit it square in the chest, sending it flying off the balconies and crashing on to the ground floor with a loud thud. As it stumbled back to its feet, Dusk retrieved his Duskaliber. Once he got it back, he idly noticed the cyclone around him vanishing slowly.

"I guess that was just a temporary power up," Dusk estimated. It appeared that the Gust Chip power up would only last for about a minute before the power left completely. Rather short, but it still got the job done. "Well, then I guess it's time we finished this little dance of ours." He slotted in his finisher Battle Chip and stabbed his sword into the floor. Dismissing his Duskaliber, Dusk jumped into the air to execute one more attack.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

Dusk roared as he performed his signature finisher move, the two halves of the Pincer Claw equipping themselves to his legs in mid-jump. He dove towards his target, the Crab Freak, and slammed into the monster's chest. His body rotated with great speed as he broke the Crab Freak's tough armor and burst right through, resulting in a massive explosion. The moment the explosion died down, a pale and skinny teenaged boy tumbled out. A black Freak Chip ejected out of his body and then vanished into dust.

**(End song)**

* * *

"Airen, he's just like you," the Chinese girl announced as she pointed over at Dusk. She and the boy were arriving at the rendezvous point when the saw that someone had beaten them to the monster. They were watching from the second floor as all the action had went down.

"That's the guy we've been hearing about," the boy acknowledged. "Yeah... the armor matches the descriptions."

"And it looks like he took care of the job," she noted, looking over the mess. "I guess we weren't needed here..."

"Yeah, but..." the boy said, popping out his 3DS-like device. "We have the other two deal with." Looking at the radar, his eyes widened as he looked at the screen. "Uh-oh."

"What is it?"

"They're coming right for him!"

* * *

"Now, where are the other two?" Dusk asked himself. All of a sudden, his danger senses tingled. Before he could react, quills latched on to his back from out of nowhere. "Huh?"

**KA-BOOM!**

**(Insert song - Struggling Fourze - Kamen Rider Fourze)**

Multiple, violent explosions erupted as the quills detonated and knocked Dusk into a pillar and he fell to the floor with a thud. His armor then deactivated as his Transformation Chip popped out of his Battle Driver. He groaned and looked up to see two Freaks. Compared to the last one, both looked more feminine in appearances.

The first one looked like a squid. It had white leather-like armor protecting it's shapely torso and legs while its arms were bare and coloured the same as calamari. Its head was black and shaped like a squid's but had white tentacles for a mouth. On its back, several white tentacles squirmed restlessly about.

The second resembled a pufferfish. Its body was covered in orange armor that looked very skintight and showed a lot of curves. All over its body, small quills could be seen if one were to look close enough. Around its face were several gills that flapped slightly. It had large orb-like eyes with a large mouth to match.

"Damn it, I got careless," he grunted as he recovered his Transformation Chip. "Guess this is round two!"

Before Shinichi could insert his Transformation Chip into his Battle Driver, the Squid Freak shot a glob of black, inky slime that hit the belt dead on. In a matter of seconds it hardened, blocking the slot and preventing Shinichi from transforming.

"Nani!?" Shinichi exclaimed. A tentacle from the Squid Freak then wrapped around his waist and hoisted him into the air before bashing him brutally to the floor with enough force to make the tiles crack. "Ugh!" As Shinichi coughed hoarsely from the blow, the tentacle whipped him around before throwing him against a glass door. He crashed through from the impact instantly and showers of glass flew through the air. He struggled to his feet as the glass brushed off his shoulders. Being a cyborg, his skin was much tougher than ordinary humans, but it didn't stop a few wounds on his face from appearing as blood trickled down his face.

The Pufferfish Freak took a deep breath before holding the air in, causing the quills on its body to suddenly enlarge before ejecting out of the body like missiles that homed on to Shinichi. His eyes widened as his adrenaline kicked in and he dove to the side as the quills impaled onto his former position. As he crashed through the other glass window, the quills exploded and engulfed the store into flames.

He rolled out of the way and flipped back up to his feet. He grimaced at the fire, "Well shit. The manager ain't gonna be happy about that." He turned back to the Freaks and frowned as they stalked closer. Now he was without a way to transform and after the beating he had taken was much weaker than before. What to do?

* * *

"Airen!" the Chinese girl alerted, seeing Shinichi in danger.

"I'm on it, Qiao!" the boy nodded. The girl, Qiao, stood back as a belt appeared around his waist in the form of binary codes. The belt appeared to be very high tech, chrome in color. In the center was a core that seemed to be flashing in a rainbow pattern, the color changing every 12 seconds. He struck a pose as his arm shot up before slowly coming down. "Henshin!" he shouted as he shot his left arm to his side.

"**Digitizing!"** the belt bellowed in an electronic voice.

**(Switch song - Goddess Awakening Feat. Solid Park - Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation)**

The boy seemed to freeze in place before a wireframe appeared around his body. He soon separated in in blue blocks before rearranging back together in a new form that resembled a suit of armor. He was now wearing a navy blue bodysuit with blue metallic boots and gauntlets with emerald gems at the bases of the gauntlets and the top of the boots. Silver metal bands were wrapped around his forearms and shins. He had rounded shoulder pads and a blue metal chestplate with yellow circuitry patterns. The blue helmet had a large yellow visor with a divider in the middle and a silver mouthguard that appeared to be insect mandibles. Lastly, he had antennae on his helmet shaped like a V.

The now armored boy turned to Qiao and said, "Be on the look out for the cops and warn me when they arrive. We don't want any trouble."

"_Méi wèntí"_ Qiao saluted with two fingers. Without another word, she jumped over the balcony and appeared to levitate into the air. Looking back at Shinichi's situation, the boy could see that it wasn't in anyway looking good. Shinichi was ducking and dodging the Squid Freak's tentacles while at the same time taking cover from the explosive quills. He turned a table on the side and used it as a shield to stop the quills before kicking it away. The table exploded and Shinichi rolled out of the way from a tentacle strike.

"Time to step in," the new armored warrior said to himself before also jumping over the balcony. He dove right towards one of the Freaks and extended his leg, kicking the Pufferfish Freak in the head and sending it crashing into one of the pillars. Shinichi, who was just about to brace himself for another quill missile attack, gaped at the sight of another armored fighter.

"Who...who are you?" Shinichi questioned.

"You can call me Mega," the armored fighter in question said. "I heard about what was going on in this city so I thought I would see for myself what I could do here."

"There's two of them. Think you can handle it?" Shinichi asked.

"I'm sure I can handle it," Mega reassured him. He turned around just in time to see the Squid Freak spitting out a glob of ink at him. Thinking quickly, Mega ducked under the ink and rushed in before sliding down and tripping the Freak of its feet. As he was directly underneath it, he lifted his feet upward kicked it straight into the chest, sending it flying. Mega tucked and rolled back onto his feet.

"You better run. I'll hold them off," Mega advised Shinichi, moving in to continue the attack on the two remaining Freaks.

Shinichi knew he couldn't be of any help in his state. Reluctantly, he turned to find an exit. However, he looked over his shoulder at Mega. Just who was he? Where did he get his armor? Why was he fighting the Freaks?

* * *

Moka, Kurumu, Saji and Takeru were still waiting for Shinichi when they saw him coming out of the mall.

"Shinichi!" they exclaimed and Saji rushed to grab him in a headlock.

"Itai! Saji-san! That hurts!" Shinichi wailed as he flapped his arms.

"Do you have any ideas how worried you made us!?" Saji snapped. "After this, I'm gonna make you run 100 laps around the school field!" He then chuckled and gave Shinichi a noogie, "Glad you're safe." He released Shinichi whose hair was now messed up from the noogie. The blue-haired boy tidied up his hair.

"What happened in there?" Takeru asked. "You look like a mess!"

"I'll tell you guys later," Shinichi answered. "Still, really _freaky _day, huh?" His gaze lingered on the mall's entrance. Just what was happening inside, right now?

* * *

The Pufferfish Freak fired more of its missiles at Mega, causing him to strafe as he raced towards the beast. Explosions erupted behind him no soon after as kneed it in the chest. He followed his assault with an uppercut that launched both him and the Freak into the air before he sent a rapid beat of spinning kicks to the face and knocked it back. Landing to a crouch, the Squid Freak attacked with more of its tentacles flying at him. He turned around to counter, only to find himself wrapped around with the tentacles tightly. The Squid Freak seemed to laugh as it began to drag the struggling hero towards it. Mega, realising that forcing his way out wouldn't do any good, decided to use one of his best weapons.

"Access: Photon Debugger!" he shouted in a strained voice. And a swarm of binary codes, a sword appeared into his hand. It resembled a katana, although it had a futuristic look to it. The blade itself appeared to be cover with circuit patterns. Gripping the hilt of the sword tightly, he maneuvered the weapon up and sliced the tentacles apart, a streak of light and an electronic hum following it. The Squid Freak shrieked in pain as black fluid spilled out from the severed tentacle.

"Sorry about that," Mega apologized, holding his sword over his shoulder. "Personally, I'm already taken. My girlfriend on the other hand, wouldn't mind the extra company though..."

The Squid Freak roared as it charged in with an absolute killing intent, now settling for close-ranged combat. It swung wildly with its remaining tentacles, forcing Mega to duck and jump around the monster with some rather impressive agility. He jumped up and landed on one of the tentacles, balancing on it as if it were the ground and returned the favor by sending a few quick slashes on the face. He kicked off the beast and landed a few feet backwards with a light tap.

"The finale!" Mega declared, tapping the Cyber Reactor on his belt.

"**Final Download!"**

Just like the night before, the blade on the Photon Debugger lit up with binary codes. He slashed forward and a blade of digital energy cut through the air and through the Squid Freak. He charged in and slashed at it several times as gashes of light appeared out of the monster with each cut. After the final slash, he kicked the monster away and it exploded with a bright explosion. Once the fire subsided, a young woman could be seen. Already, her body was now nothing more than skin and bone, and her skin was looking very pale. A black Freak Chip ejected out of her body and then crumbled into dust.

Mega barely had time to relax before the sound of missiles flying towards him filled the air. Turning around quickly as he put his sword into a reverse grip, he deflected the flying quills away from him. Before him, the Pufferfish Freak growled angrily. "Almost forgot about you," he said, slightly embarrassed. He ran towards the monster and threw his sword at it just as it was taking another breath to fire the quills from its body. The blade spun forward before impaling itself on its chest with a loud shink, and the Pufferfish Freak screeched in pain and stumbled backwards. Upon reaching it, he swiftly pulled his sword out and knocked it back with a flash kick. The Pufferfish Freak tumbled onto the ground before it skid on its hands and feet. Glaring at Mega, it tucked and rolled into a ball before suddenly enlarging. The quills enlarged as the ball rolled in place before rushing at Mega with full force.

"Aw crap!" Mega exclaimed as the ball charged at him. Dismissing his sword instinctively, he ran to the opposite direction, trying to get away from the ball. He soon ended up running into a wall and while to most people this would be a dead end, he actually continued running and went up the wall as if gravity shifted for him. The ball didn't get deterred as it followed him up the wall, using the spikes to climb up after him. Mega switched to using acrobatics to try and lose the ball, or at least make it run out of stamina, jumping on the poles, fences, and adjacent walls. The ball refused to lock off from him as it followed him like a demented pinball of death. Just as Mega landed onto another wall, he watched as the ball came closer towards him to shred his armor. Just before he could keep moving...

**WHAM!**

A bench came out of nowhere and smashed into the ball. It flew across the arena and bounced several times before reforming back into the dizzy Pufferfish Freak. Blinking, he looked down to find his savior. Looking to the lower left, he found Qiao waving at him.

"The cops are coming!" she shouted at him, "We have to finish this up and quick!"

"Yeah, we don't wanna get interrogated or anything," Mega agreed as he dropped to the ground and joined her. "What about the cameras?"

"Taken care of," she told him, looking at the Freak. "I'll keep it disoriented."

"Alright," Mega nodded.

Qiao pointed her palm at one of the broken benches. As if reacting to a mental command, the bench levitated slightly into the air before flying into the Pufferfish Freak. It smashed against it with such a force that the bench was reduced to busted stone as the monster was knocked back. She wasn't done as she then used a palm tree as a weapon as well, sending it flying into the Pufferfish Freak's face. A few stands flew towards it and crashed into it as a follow up. Raising her hands upward, she sent a telekinetic command that levitated various materials above her. Benches, stands, and even some fast food to name a few. She pointed forward and her makeshift weapons went flying as a response. The items all bombarded onto the Pufferfish Freak in an instant. It shrieked and yelled as it was hit with just about everything the mall had to offer. Everything but the kitchen sink. It was knocked onto its back from the ruthless assault.

"It's down!" Qiao nodded, "All yours, Airen!"

"OK!" Mega nodded, tapping his Cyber Reactor.

"**Final Download!"**

The core flashed slightly as energy ran down his right leg. The energy reached the gem on his boot, causing it to glow as binary codes appeared and encircled around it. He ran forward, and with each step he took the right boot made fizzling sounds and left green footsteps that vanished without a trace after a few seconds. He jumped up into the air and poised for a kick, the binary codes on his boot spinning faster. Mega shouted as the kick impacted hard, causing the Pufferfish Freak to fly backwards before exploding in a haze of flames. The flames died down and another young woman who was also in a need for medical attention appeared out of it. A Freak Chip appeared out of her body before it vanished into dust.

**(End song)**

"Well, that's that," Mega nodded, finally relaxing. "Time to go home."

"Way ahead of you," Qiao nodded walking up to him. With that in mind, she took his hand and the teenagers vanished from the premisses.

* * *

The police had arrived and barged in to subdue the Freaks. However, when they did enter the area where they were last scene, they only saw the three emaciated teens who had been infected by the Freak Chips. An ambulance was called in to take them to the hospital. As for the mall, it was closed down to do some repairs and for a police investigation.

"So, you met another armored warrior like yourself," Fran concluded. After the mall fiasco, Shinichi had gone straight home after walking the girls back to their dorm. He then proceeded to tell Fran all about what had happened.

"Well, not _exactly _like me. Although, there were some similarities," he replied.

"How interesting," Fran smiled. "I'd love to meet him."

"To uncover some kind of anatomical mystery?" he guessed.

"Well, if he's like you then his insides must be interesting," Fran's smile grew.

Shinichi was interested in what was inside Mega or what made him tick. His interest and curiosity was more aimed towards the identity of the man under the mask. He was someone like him, a man who fought the Freaks while concealing his identity. "Whatever the cause, I'm sure we'll be seeing more of him soon," Shinichi said, a look of absolution on his face. "By the way..." he continued pointing at the smoldering area in the forest near the mansion through the window, "What happened in the experiment that warranted part of the forest exploding?"

"Oh, that?" Fran sighed as she rubbed her head tiredly, "It seemed the roaches didn't take kindly to seeing more of their kind be exterminated and had a little rebellion. My clients got caught in the crossfire and what you see now is the result. I sent a few of the servants to contain the fire and find them."

"Wow, those must have been some pissed of roaches," Shinichi grimaced. Who would've guess that roaches would create a rebellion in response to their kind getting massacred? People have been killing roaches for thousands of years, and there still didn't seem to be some way for dealing with the pests. Maybe this was why roaches are the most likely to withstand a nuclear apocalypse. Who knows?

"_We have contained the fire and found the costumers," _one of the servants spoke from Fran's bluetooth on her ear, _"Unfortunately, they are heavily burned."_

"Bring them to the operation room gently," Fran ordered, "We will take responsibility for their wounds."

"I think I'll help out with this one," Shinichi offered, somehow having a feeling that he was going to regret it later.

"Good, the more help the better," Fran nodded to him.

* * *

The boy, Netto, sighed as lied on a bed, resting comfortably as Qiao cuddled next to him with her head on his chest. The room there were in was a little bare and had a few boxes here and there. There was a TV that was on a wall near the bed though, and a some game consoles were hooked up to it. "Looks like there really was a guy like you in this city. And he uses those chips too."

"Which means that he's somehow connected to the monsters," he added, stroking her hair softly. "I got a good look at him. We'll find out where he lives and where he goes to school."

"And what do you think we'll do after that?" she asked him, "Don't you think he'll be a bit suspicious of us?"

"Personally, I'd rather make more friends than enemies," Netto said, sighing. "And those monsters had to come from somewhere. Each time we beat one, there's a chip that either vanishes or turns into a completely new chip. All we need to do is to get him to know that we can be trusted and maybe we can answer some of our questions. Hopefully, he isn't a jerk."

"Yeah, that's all fine and good," she agreed as she crawled on top of Netto and straddled his waist. She gave him a sexy smirk, "But now I need some lovin'."

Netto smiled back, but the blush on his face was unmistakable, "Do whatever you want with me, Qiao-chan. I'm all yours." That was all she needed to hear as she bended down and eskimo kissed him before actually locking lips with him and wrapping her arms around him as he did the same. Qiao purred in the kiss as Netto circled his finger on the small of her back, while Qiao found her favorite spot and kissed him lightly on the crook of his neck. That always turned him into jelly in her arms.

* * *

It was late at night as the city turned dark. The Man in Black stood in an alleyway, hiding in the shadows as he was speaking into a device that resembled an iPhone. But instead of putting it next to his face, he held it before him as if someone's image was on the window, "It appears we have a problem, Lord Zero. There is another cyborg like #13 who knows about the Freaks."

"_And? Did you see the extent of his abilities?"_ the man on the other line, Lord Zero, asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "He has great speed and agility, and seems to use virtual codes in his powers. There was also a young girl with him."

"_What about her?"_ Lord Zero pressed on.

"She has telekinetic abilities," the Man in Black replied. "But if experience serves me right, it is likely that she has other abilities as well. She might even be on the same level as the vampire."

"_I see..."_ Lord Zero mussed. _"This is very troublesome. We've only found two Level 2 Freaks so far, and we still have not managed to find any Level 3s, or even the Overlords. I will report this new information to Igniz. In the meantime, you continue to focus on finding the Overlords. If any more trouble arises with Dusk, this unknown cyborg, and the Youkai aligned with them, let us know."_

"Understood," the Man in Black nodded. The line cut off and the man pocketed his device. He looked out into the city with his hands behind his back. "So now, there is another one similar to my creations?" he muttered to himself. His eyes hardened, "It seems I have to double my efforts a bit."

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER:** Well it took a while, but I finally managed to do the forth chapter. The secondary Rider is introduced and we'll be seeing more of him. But who are Lord Zero and Igniz? And what are the Overlords? The plot thickens...


	5. Be Kind to Your Idol

Shinichi's Battle Driver was up and running again. It seemed that the gunk blocking the slot wasn't permanent. Still, it had been a close call. Fighting two Freaks without access to his armor and Battle Chips had been frightening. It was a good thing that other armored fighter showed up when he did.

It was close to midterms, which were just around the corner. He needed to study. Well, not study hard. His cybernetic implants included an augmented memory, meaning he could remember everything he read or studied after just reviewing them once. He tried not to get perfect scores all the time. He didn't want to get too much attention. He was just a normal student, which was his guise in Ryoukai Academy.

Still, Shinichi couldn't help but think back to Mega. That guy had rescued him. However, what were his true intentions? Shinichi needed to know. When the chance came, he would ask him.

* * *

Kurumu opened the oven door and inhaled. "Perfect." After putting on some oven mitts, Kurumu pulled out the hot tray and put it on the counter. On the tray were freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. "Now, for the special ingredient." She took out a bottle which had a white, powdery substance which resembled sugar. However, it was not sugar.

"They said I couldn't Charm anyone, but nobody said anything about aphrodisiacs," giggled Kurumu. She then sprinkled the aphrodisiac powder all over the cookies.

* * *

After parking his bike, Shinichi went to his classroom where he met up with his classmates. Saji seemed pretty stern as he looked over Takeru who had his nose in his book.

"Ohayo, Iinchou, Takeru," Shinichi greeted. "Iinchou is forcing you to study, Takeru?"

"Damn right!" Takeru whined. "Seriously, we have plenty of time!"

"Time that can be put into studying," Saji argued gruffly, "Remember, you need to get a good score or you'll be made to take a re-test."

"Fine, fine," Takeru grumbled, "But is this really necessary? It's not the finals."

"I think Iinchou is trying to instill proper study habits in you, Takeru," Shinichi concluded.

"You'll always side with him," frowned Takeru.

"Only when he's right," Shinichi shrugged. The door slid open and he smiled, "Moka-san! Kurumu-chan! Ohayo!"

"Ohayo!" the girls waved back. Kurumu instantly went up to Shinichi and present him a paper bag for something smelling sweet, "Guess what, Shinichi~? I baked cookies just for you! I had to get up extra early just to get them done!" she boasted girlishly.

"Really?" Shinichi blinked. The scent of the cookies was already going up his nose. He could smell the sweetness of the pastries. He did skip breakfast. His stomach was growling as he was starting to get pretty hungry.

"Seriously?" Takeru smiled, reaching for the bag, "Hey, can I have some?" Kurumu only slapped his hand away in response.

"Not for you!" she glared at him.

"Ya don't have to be a jerk about it," Takeru frowned, rubbing his hand.

"Kurumu-chan, just one won't hurt," Shinichi chided.

"But I made them for you," she pouted. Didn't he understand that she has made them just for him? She had even sprinkled an aphrodisiac powder on them so she couldn't share them with anyone else.

"Just one," he assured her. "I'll take the rest."

"Fine..." she sighed. It's not like one cookie would hurt, right? "Sorry about that. You can have one."

"Apology accepted and treat accepted." He couldn't stay mad at a cute girl. Takeru took a cookie and bit into it. "Wow. That is a good cookie."

One cookie wouldn't hurt, right?

The classroom's atmosphere turned dark once again as the tall and dark teacher materialized at her desk, causing everyone to stop their chatter and pale at the sight of her. Biteru-sensei in response just glared at her students.

"SIT THE HELL DOWN!" Biteru-sensei roared, the lights flickering as if reacting to her sudden rage. Everyone shrank down in the seats in an instant, "Now, it looks like you maggots are multiplying because we have two new students joining us."

"Does she always have to call us maggots?" Kurumu frowned. She, like the rest of the students, found that Biteru-sensei was her least favorite teacher. She had a way to make everyone depressed. Fortunately, everyone had learnt to get used to it and become more positive and lively once Biteru-sensei left and returned to her 'lair'.

Shinichi cocked an eyebrow. They seem to be getting a lot of new students joining them this early in the term.

The door slid opened as a pair of two teenagers walked in. One was a young boy with short, chin-length black hair and red eyes. He was short for a boy his age, though his cute face seemed to make him look like a babydoll, which most of the girls in the class seemed to admire a lot. Rather than the Ryoukai High uniform, he was wearing a red blazer with a white shirt underneath and a black tie and black pants. Around his neck was a pair of goggles with emerald green lenses. Next to him was a much taller girl that was of Chinese descent. She had shoulder length brown hair and bright blue eyes. A parts of her haired looked like a pair of folded ears. She was wearing a similar uniform, which was also a red blazer with a tie and white shirt, though she was wearing a black mini skirt with white stockings.

"Now you two. Introduce yourselves and then get out of my way," Biteru-sensei barked.

Netto's gaze seemed to linger on Shinichi for a moment before addressing the class, almost timidly, "I'm... Netto Kusanagi," he bowed, "It's nice to meet you all!"

The girl, on the other hand, was much more bold, "_Nihao_ everyone," she introduced with a wide smile, "My name is Qiao Xang. I hope we'll get along."

The classroom seemed to be quiet for a short moment after they introduced themselves. It only served to make Netto a bit more nervous. Eventually, one of the girls did make a sound, "Ka..."

Netto and Qiao blinked, confused, "Ka?"

"KAWAAAIIII!" more than half the girls shouted. "A PRETTY BOY!"

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT SHUTTING THE HELL UP?!" Biteru-sensei roared loudly, the lights once again flickering from her outburst. Everyone in the room, including Netto and Qiao who quickly shifted away from the morbid teacher, cringed in fright once more. Once the lights returned to normal, Biteru-sensei glared menacingly at the class, "Now then, because none of you seem to know how to follow directions we will be having a pop quiz on the horrors of the solar system and why Pluto has been reduce to an extendable dwarf planet!"

The kids all groaned in mortification. If there was anything worse than Biteru-sensei's lectures it was her pop quizzes. Those quizzes forced them to remember every depressing detail of her lessons and that was not something they were looking forward to.

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 5: Be Kind to Your Idol**

* * *

"Mmnnnnn!" a young woman stretched as she walked into an empty classroom. Actually, "classroom" was a rather loose term for the room she stepped into. It was large and lavish, having curtains and frills that looked all too expensive to belong in such a school like Ryoukai. There was even red and blue carpet underneath the desks and tables, not to mention an actual chandelier hanging on the ceiling. She appeared to be a second year girl that was of average height and had silky black hair done up in a ponytail, but with purple highlights in it. She wore the standard uniform, which looked very neat and pressed. Long white pantyhose were worn along her legs and, instead of the standard slippers which all students wore to prevent scuffing the floor, purple colored high heels were on her feet. Her lips were painted pink with purple eyeliner accenting her features. Her nails were similarly colored. "Hey there."

"Well, aren't you looking chiper today?" another girl greeted, sitting on another desk as she took a small sip of tea. This one was dressed in an outfit different from the Ryoukai Academy uniform, which was an opened red jacket with a white shirt, red dress pants, green pantyhose underneath and red heels. She was another attractive girl with long green hair that reached the small of her back and green eyes. She seemed to be a mixture of Chinese and Japanese descent. Her figure was very shapely and her breasts where quite prominent. She uncrossed her legs as she looked up, "So, how was your date, Mari?"

"Oh, it was quite lovely," the girl, Mari, said as she sat down and took a cookie from the tray, "He took me to a 5-Star restaurant and then a we saw a movie. Kaito-kun must be really trying hard."

"Don't all boys try hard?" the girl in red snickered. "I mean, we are among the most popular girls in school. It would only make sense why boys would be so attracted to us."

"Maybe, but what if they found out what we _really _are?" Mari asked. "What would they still find us attractive then, Miu?"

"Uh, sure!" Miu said with furrowed eyebrows, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "Have you seen your true form in the mirror? It's pretty hot!"

"Now that's an awful pun," Mari blushed.

There was a group of very wealthy girls, all in second and third years, in Ryoukai High who had families that financially supported the high school. This group was known as the Ryoukai's Best. They were among the most popular girls in school, and just about every boy desired them. They were hot, sexy, and they were worth a lot of money. They were school idols and everyone's onee-samas. However, they all had one secret that no one else knew.

They were all Youkai.

The girls of Ryoukai's Best all belonged to wealthy and well known monster clans who all knew the school's headmaster well. Those families helped to financially support the school and most of them were proud of that fact. A few of them would even flaunt their money. Of course, they also desired mates of their own. While some of them already had boyfriends or fiances of their own, others would flirt and tease a few of the boys. If they were impressed, they would even grant them dates. Its too bad their parents would never approve of such middle-class boys, let alone humans. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have some fun along the way.

"Anyway, I just got a hot tip on my way," Mari said as she leaned on her chair. "Word on the grapevine is that we have ourselves yet more transfer students arriving."

"Let me guess," Miu interrupted, "They're transferring to Biteru-sensei's class, aren't they?" Mari nodded slowly, causing Miu to frown, "Ugh, I hate that onna! I still can't get her lecture on how the sun is doomed to die out and end all life on Earth in a cold husk from last year out of my head!"

"I heard some of the students were cutting themselves during her classes," Mari said. "At least this generation of freshmen aren't likely to commit suicide like last year."

"Let's hope it stays like that," Miu huffed before returning to the conversation at hand, "So what about these students that have you so interested?"

"One of the transfers is a boy," was Mari's answer.

"Really? A boy this time?"

"And he's so really cute too!" Mari suddenly gushed, her hands on her cheeks, "He has the kind of boyish charm that can attract older girls!"

"Really? Then maybe I should have a go at him," a new voice said.

Both girls turned to the sound a of the voice as another girl walking into the room. She had platinum blonde hair with bouncy drill curls on both sides. Her hair went past her shoulders and had a white bow on it. Her face was covered in a small but fair amount of make-up, her eyes were deep green and her lips were full and pink. Rather than the standard uniform, she was wearing a silky white blouse with a matching skirt, and the blouse was kept protected by a red ribbon, leaving her cleavage up to imagination. Her long, shapely legs were covered in black pantyhose and her feet had on white heels with a buckle strap in each. In her arms, she was holding a small folder.

"Oh, Kiko! So you've heard?" Mari smiled.

"I have, and I even had Sebastien get records of him so I could see for myself," Kiko smiled, sitting down next to Mari. "It wasn't easy, but I have it right here."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense!" Miu said, getting up to sit down with her friends.

"Hai, hai," Kiko nodded opening the folder. She took one of the sheets of paper and looked it over. "Ah, here we go. Netto Kusanagi, age 15. It says that he arrived here from the Ibaraki Prefecture."

"Hey, is that him?" Mui asked, taking a photo of him from the folder to take a look. "You're right, he's cute."

"He is, isn't he?" Kiko said, smiling sultry, "He's also a tech genius and is really good with computers, and has the grades to prove it... huh? That's all it says."

"That's it? Nothing else?" Mari asked, looking at the folder. "Interesting, a mysterious transfer student just like Sanban-kun."

"You mean the one who beat up the Student Council President?" Miu asked. "That was a service to us girls. That jerk though he had the right to any pretty girl he laid eyes one. I think I might court him one of these days."

"Maybe," Kiko said, closing the folder. She folded her fingers in a ladylike manner as she crossed her legs. "So, I go ahead and get to know him a little bit. If he's a shy with women as the rumors say he is, maybe I'll even have a bit of fun making him squirm."

"Is that so?" Mari asked. "I thought you normally dated older guys."

"Yeah, but what can I say? I like a change of venue now and again," Kiko smiled, licking her lips.

* * *

Once the horrible quiz had ended and Biteru-sensei left the room and thus caused the atmosphere to brighten again, the boys and girls of the class crowded around the two new arrivals. This was the same attention Kurumu and Moka had received when they had transferred in. Shinichi hung back to watch. He couldn't help but think the way Netto had been looking at it held some kind of meaning. He adjusted his glasses, a habit he had developed when he was deep in thought. Kurumu had told him he looked better without glasses but he objected. He liked wearing glasses. His eyesight wasn't poor but he liked wearing decorative glasses for the sake of fashion.

"Shouldn't you go and get to know them?" Moka asked Shinichi.

"Maybe later," Shinichi shrugged. "I doubt I'll get a chance to talk to them since our classmates are crowded around them."

"Well, there's always lunch time," Moka stated. They still had some classes before lunch period so there was plenty of time to get to know their new classmates.

"Point taken," Shinichi replied in agreement. He couldn't help the feeling he got when Netto had stared at him earlier. It was like he knew him. Odd because Shinichi didn't think he had met Netto before. Well, his eyes seemed familiar...

His eyes...

His eyes!

Now he recognized those eyes. The visors of their paintball masks were transparent so Shinichi got a good look at his opponent's eyes. They were the same as Netto's.

Was that why Netto had looked at him with a sense of familiarity? Had he recognized him from their paintball match? Well, if that was the case, perhaps Shinichi could speak with the new kid. The way he had moved and his tactics in the paintball match had earned him Shinichi's attention. The kid knew how to take down multiple opponents using guerrilla tactics.

Maybe they could have Netto join their team? They were low one member and they needed four to qualify entry in official tournaments. The Paintball Club didn't have such rules so it was fine to go in solo or with less than four members in a team.

Well, maybe they could ask Netto and Qiao to join them at lunch. That is unless there other's that wanted talk to them.

* * *

Once Netto and Qiao managed to get themselves out of the classroom, the decided to take a look around the school. People were already taking notice of them, mostly of how good they looked together. Some where even whispering on whether or not they were a couple. The boys were already drooling over Qiao's appearance, while the girls like at Netto with adoration on how cute and boyish he looked.

"Oh, looks like everyone is staring already," Qiao said, smiling as she greeted the students. "I guess we'll be pretty popular in no time."

"I actually had my attention on that guy I met at the mall," Netto retorted. "He was looking at me."

"Blue-haired, antenna hair and wearing glasses?" Qiao asked. "The guy that also has a suit of armor and fights monsters? I guess he recognised you from the paintball club."

"My mask covered my face," he argued.

"Not your eyes. The visor leaves your eyes visible," Qiao pointed out. "Well, at least we know where he goes to school. Pretty convenient now that we can ask him a few questions. We just need to think of how to approach him without startling him."

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Netto reassured her.

"Yeah, we will. In the meantime..." a smirk appeared on her face, "Which of the girls do you like so far?"

Netto was caught off guard by her sudden words, turning to her with a red face. "Wait, WHAT?"

"Well, you know what I mean," Qiao said, enjoying the look of sudden embarrassment, "I mean I know that we haven't really met other kids in our age group so I figure that we could have some other girls that we could play with together." She giggled, "Sure just having other friends to hang out with is cool all the same but harms and romantic, existing and oh GOSH I you know!" she finished with a squeal.

"But... multiple girls?" Netto blinked. "Is that possible?"

"It can be done in countries like India," Qiao said in a sing-song voice, wagging her finger. "Think about it. Oh! We could even do role play! Or orgies! Or role play AND orgies!"

"We... really need more friends," Netto muttered, his cheeks turning redder.

Looking to her left, she noticed a poster with two people in martial arts stances. "Hey a Karate Club!" she turned back to Netto and placed a quick peck on his cheek, "I'm gonna check it out! See ya soon!"

"Sure, I'll be waiting," Netto nodded. Smiling, Qiao waved as she went on to check out the club. Netto rubbed the back of his head nervously as he went on his way.

* * *

"Eh?" Kiko blinked, "He has a girlfriend already?"

A few more of Ryoukai's Best have already arrived to classroom, causing the room to be filled with chatter and classical music as each of their personal maids and butlers were already attending to their mistresses. Much like Kiko, Miu, and Mari, each girl was highly attractive and wore different uniforms. Another one of the girls joining them was named Setsuna Kazuaki. She was in her third year and thus made her the senior to the other three. She had bright crimson hair which was long enough to reach the ground, and her eyes matched the color. She was in a white long sleeved shirt with a green checkered vest over it. Her mini skirt matched the color of said skirt and she wore white pantyhose with black heels.

"Apparently so," Setsuna nodded, her face straight as an arrow. "I had my mades follow them out of class after they left their class. They were very close from what I was told, although Netto seems to be... I should I put this?... very shy with her. Something that the girl enjoyed."

"So he's taken then," Miu concluded.

"That's the funny part," Setsuna continued, "The girl with him seems interested in having a harem with him."

"A harem?" Mari blinked, "Really? Wow, you don't hear something like that everyday. Then again, that's how my parents met. My mum didn't mind the idea of sharing with other women." Many Youkai were attracted to power, and also good looks were a must. So it would only made sense that many of the high ranked Youkai would consists of harems. It was mainly one of the reasons why monsters have existed for as long as they did.

"That's what I was told," Setsuna nodded. "And here's something else. The girl with him is like us; a Youkai. And a strong one too. She might even be one of the elites just like Akashiya."

"An Elite Youkai?" Miu arched an eyebrow. "How do they know each other then?"

"Do I look like a fortune teller to you?" Setsuna retorted sarcastically, "I've told you all I know, so just deal with it."

"My, my," Kiko muttered, rubbing her chin, "A cute, shy boy with a bolder girlfriend who doesn't mind a harem?" She tucked her hair behind her left ear before she smiled with a glint glowing in her eyes, "Interesting. I think I'll go and have some fun with him," she decided as she stood up and picked up her school bag.

"Try not to give him a heart attack," Mari said jokingly.

"I haven't met a man who ignored my charms yet," Kiko waved at her friends, still moving to the door. "It'll be fun to play with a cute underclassmen at least for a little while. _Ciao_, girls." She gave a wink before heading out of the doorway to find the cute transfer student. After watching her go, Miu made a decision.

"So girls, what do you say about saying hello?" she suggested.

"You mean, spy on Kiko's newest prey?" Mari asked, smirking. Kiko always knew how to make the boys in school putty in her hands. That was one of the reasons why she was so desirable. "That should be fun."

"I have no classes at the moment either," Setsuna shrugged. "I guess I could keep you both out of trouble."

"Then it's settled," Miu grinned. "Girls, time to go on another stakeout."

* * *

Around the same time, Shinichi and his friends had just finished another class, math class to be precise. The teacher, Ririko-sensei, was a breath of fresh air after what they had to go through with science class last period. She was definitely marked as one of the more sexy teachers in school. The fact that she was asked on dates by some of the male staff and even asked by some male students for some... private tutoring lessons, was a testament to that. Takeru was no exception as he had some mediocre to average test scores and always took the opportunity to take her extra lessons. But today... there was something about Ririko-sensei that just couldn't get him to focus. His mind was getting increasingly hazy as he looked continuously at her figure, her lecture going in one ear and out the other. He didn't know why, almost felt like rushing up there and tearing her clothes off. It wasn't until class ended and she had left the room that he had finally reached his breaking point.

"Hey, man. Is it just me or is it getting hot in here?" Takeru asked as he wiped sweat off his brow. He was fanning himself as his body temperature was progressively rising. "Seriously, I feel like I'm in a sauna."

"Maybe you have a fever," Shinichi suggested. Kurumu, however, seemed nervous.

'_Damn, I guess that stuff was more potent than I thought,_' Kurumu thought as she observed Takeru's reaction to the aphrodisiac. So far, the drug was raising his body temperature. That meant it had just kicked in. Soon, well, he was going to try and find some way to satisfy himself.

"I just...I just...I just need to get out of these clothes!" Takeru threw off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.

"Keep your shirt on!" Saji ordered as he whacked Takeru with his shinai.

"Ow...But it's so hot~!" whined Takeru as he nursed his head.

"Maybe we should take Takeru to the infirmary?" Moka suggested. "He might really have a fever."

"Hey...pretty lady..." Takeru slurred. "Wanna see my my pet elephant? Bow Chicka Bow Wow!" He started to pull down his fly when Saji slammed his shinai over his head. Stars spun around Takeru's head before he fell over with a dull thud. Moka gasped as Shinichi frowned.

"Was that really necessary?" Shinichi questioned, glaring at their Class Rep.

"He was about to commit indecent exposure," reasoned Saji.

"Good point," Shinichi agreed as he picked Takeru up and threw him over his shoulder. "I got it from here." He then stepped out of the classroom.

"What do you think is wrong with him, Kurumu-chan?" Moka asked the succubus.

"I have no idea," Kurumu lied, a cold bead of sweat rolling down her face. "No idea..."

* * *

Netto scratched his head as he wandered around. The campus was way bigger than he expected. It had bike paths and more than a few sports fields. Walking along the path, Netto spied a gathering of students lounging at a window. All of them were male and looked like they were waiting for something. Wondering what was going on, he went to where the students were seemingly admiring something.

"Hey," Netto called, walking up to the group. "What's going on?"

"SHHHHH!" all the boys hissed at him. One of them then frowned at Netto. "Do you want to give us away? Keep your voice down!"

"Huh?" Netto blinked. Were these guys peeking at something? "What are you looking at?"

"Ryoukai's Best!" one of the boys grinned before he pointed ahead.

Looking over the shoulders, Netto saw several girls in uniforms lounging around in a room that looked like it belonged in a private, high class school rather Ryoukai. The female students were definitely not lacking in the figure or looks department. They were more like idols or super models. Each of them were either chatting it up, reading and studying, or just listening to the music while enjoying some sweets.

"Okay..." Netto nodded, backing away. "So who are they?"

"They're the girls of Ryoukai's Best! They belong to some wealthy and well known families that know the school's headmaster," one of the boys grinned. He pointed to one of the girls on a lone table reading one of the books, "See the bombshell in black? She's Usha Lamia Lilitu. Rumor has it that she came all the way from Central Europe. She doesn't talk all that much and can come off as creepy but she has one of the biggest boobs in school!"

"Our idol!" the boys cheered with grins on their faces.

"Um... sure... Netto said slowly. "I'll just be going now." He quickly began walking away, deciding to go and find what Qiao was up to. Looking back at the boys as he left them to their perverted adoration, he had to wonder if this was what all boys in high school were like. If that was the case than maybe it was a good thing that he was home scho-

**MOOSH!**

And then his thoughts were interrupted by something soft hitting his face.

"Oh my~, you're more aggressive than I expected," a female voice purred smoothly. Netto looked upward and found the face of a beautiful older girl. Her platinum blond hair was long and went past her shoulders with two curls on the side of both her head. Her deep green eyes stared back into his reds as her pink lips smiled coyly.

And that was when he released where his head was resting.

"WHOA!" Netto exclaimed, removing his head out her bosom. He stared up at her, with an embarrassed look on his face, "S-sorry! I-I-I wasn't looking w-where I was going!" he stuttered.

"Oh, don't worry about that," the girl laughed off, enjoying the look of embarrassment on his face. "Actually, I came here to see you."

"Me?" Netto questioned, confused. The girl nodded with a smile.

"Holy shit!" one of the boys near the window exclaimed, having looked back when Netto's yell distracted him. "It's Kiko Kirishima-sama! It's actually her!" The other boys with him turned back and all gapped with more adoration. A few of them even started drooling.

"Her family owns a fashion line! Having a girl with a high quality sense of fashion is totally hot!" another one of the boys wooed.

"The fact that she's half-Italian just makes her even more sexy!" one boy with glasses grinned, his lenses becoming foggy as he adjusted them, "Foreign girls are always hot! They have exotic, unexplored territory charms to them!"

"Hi boys," Kiko waved daintily at them, clearly enjoying all the compliments the love sick boys were giving, "If you don't mind, I volunteered to show him around campus. He's new here so as an upperclassman I have to set an example. Am I right?"

"Hai, Kiko-sama~," the boys swooned.

"Well, it's decided," Kiko smiled, looping her arm underneath his. "Let's get going, shall we?"

"What about my classes?" Netto asked.

"No worries. The headmaster has it all covered for today. I said that I could be your personal guide," Kiko answered. Seemingly satisfied, Netto nodded as Kiko lead him back to the school. As they watched him go, the boys who were still admiring Ryoukai's best, realized something vital.

"Hey," one of them said in an almost whisper. "Didn't Kiko-sama just walk away with a freshman? With her arm around his?"

...

...

...

"AW HELL!"

* * *

Shinichi returned to the infirmary to see Takeru under the covers with rope tying him down to the bed.

"Why is he tied down to the bed?" Shinichi asked. Saji had arrived earlier.

"I came by to check up on him and found him sexually harassing the nurse," Saji answered, firm scowl on his face.

"He does that all the time," Shinichi replied, recalling the times Takeru had tried to flirt with the nurse. He had a habit of using sexually suggestive terms and phrases.

"Not verbally. Physically," Saji retorted. "It was almost a case of sexual molestation, until I stopped him." Saji swung his shinai for emphasis. "Hehe. Went down like a pile of bricks."

"Well, guess that makes sense," Shinichi replied, understanding why Takeru was tied to the bed. "What do you think is wrong with him?"

"Maybe holding back his inner pervert has made it go out of control and now he is a monster who has no qualm about committing acts of sexual perversion!" Saji stated melodramatically.

"...Right, let's make that a possibility," Shinichi replied with a cocked eyebrow. "Was the gag necessary?"

"You weren't here to hear what he said," Saji remarked.

"Can't be worse than what he usually says to try and impress a girl,"

"You'd be surprised," he said. Shinichi blinked oddly, knowing that whenever Saji said something like this, it was likely true. Still he removed the gag so he could talk to Takeru. "Hey buddy, how are you feeling?"

"Ugh, like my head got stuffed into a blender," Takeru moaned.

"Well, you were about to strip off all your clothes," Shinichi reminded.

"And you looked like you were about to pounce on Ririko-sensei," added Saji.

"He was?" Shinichi asked. He had not noticed that.

"Trust me. I know that look on his face," Saji answered. "I've known this bonehead for a long time, so I know just about everything about him."

"Long time friendship, huh?" Shinichi smiled. He felt slightly envious. He did not have that sort of thing. At least, as far as he knew.

"Yeah, we've been friends for a long time," Takeru continued, "Like six inches worth of long. Bow chicka bow wow."

"Oh, shut up," Saji growled.

"Did somebody call for a really hairy plumber? Bow-chicka-bow-wow!"

"Takeru. Shut up."

"I came here to lay some pipe. Bow-chika-bow-wow!"

"Takeru!"

"So I hear you got sisters. Bow chicka- who're twins!- wow wow!"

"Alright, knock it off!" Shinichi frowned in annoyance.

"Hey, are you a model or a famous actress? Bow-chika-bow-wow!"

"Damn it, Takeru!" Saji growled.

"Bow chickachick-"

"Shut up!" Saji shouted.

"-gow wow chicka-"

"Takeru!" Shinichi yelled.

"-chicka bow bow chickachickachi bow bow!"

"Shut up!" Shinichi shouted, stuffing the gag back into Takeru's mouth. He panted hard, as if hyperventilating. He turned to Saji, "Now I understand why you needed the gag."

"Told ya so," Saji snickered.

"Well, let's just keep him here. Maybe call his parents to take him home later," Shinichi suggested.

* * *

He was a proud third year and the president of the Kendo Club. Like the Student Council President, he saw himself as God's Gift to women. He had once tried to woo Kiko, only to be rejected. Instead of being insulted, he took this as a challenge, and tried many times to win her heart, but failing. He was persistent (many would say obsessive), and would not be deterred.

He always watched her from afar, waiting for his moment to shine and for her to realise her love for him. Sometimes he even followed her without her realizing. He even took photos of her without her knowledge or consent. Some may even call what he was doing stalking.

They just didn't understand the depth of his love for her. However, he always had to compete with other boys trying to get close to his precious goddess. They didn't deserve her. They didn't understand the true depth of her beauty or radiance. Only he truly deserved her.

So imagine his shock and outrage when he spotted her with a new transfer student. Hand in hand no less. How was he able to get so close to her? How could a nobody be with a goddess like her? How?

Well, the impudent little whelp was going to need to learn a lesson. He would challenge the boy to a formal duel in front of everyone. Refusal would make him look like a coward and if he accepted than he would teach him a lesson he wouldn't soon forget.

* * *

Kiko seemed to know the school well, showing him each of the rooms and areas that Ryoukai had to offer. She even showed him a swimming pool that students used whenever they weren't in classes. All the way she pulled him along like a woman on a mission. Numerous boys began to sob and moan in despair at seeing one of the most idolized girls in the school dragging off the new transfer student. Several of them were sending glares at Netto's back as if glaring at him would suddenly make him back away from Kiko so that one of them could take his place with her. Girls were whispering excitedly, thinking that one of the school's idols had found a boyfriend. Netto couldn't help but feel a tad bit worried over the commotion that was going on.

At the moment, he and her sempai was sitting one of the benches housed by the school. There weren't any of their schoolmates around, so it looked like a good opportunity to ask questions.

"So, sempai," Netto began, "Is there any particular reason why you volunteered to show me around?"

"Do I really need a reason to show you around?" Kiko said flirtingly with a "come hither" face, scooting closer to him. Netto's face turned progressively redder as she leered at him.

"Um, n-no! Not at all!" Netto excalmed. He calmed down as he looked at his sneakers, "I'm just saying... well, from what I've heard so far you're one of the most popular girls in school. I know you're my sempai and all but, is there a reason why you personally decided to be my guide?"

"Oh, is that it?" Kiko asked. "If you really need to know..." she slowly looped an arm around his shoulders, "I admire cute boys. And to me, you're pretty cute yourself," she said, slowly tracing her finger down his throat.

"Um... yeah, I get that a lot," Netto nodded shyly. "I know a lot of boys of already told you this, but you're pretty beautiful yourself."

Kiko couldn't help but smile softly as a light blush appeared on her cheeks. Sure she's been given such complements before, but somehow hearing it come from him seemed seemed... right. "That's really sweet of you," she said. "So anyway, about that girlfriend of yours."

"You know?" Netto asked, eyes widening.

"Oh I have friends who tell me a lot of things," she told him. "Speaking of her, I hear that she wanted to start a harem with you. Is that true?"

"W-well, I've known Qiao-chan for years," Netto responded, slightly stuttering, "And when she wants to say something that's on her mind, she does it without hesitation."

"So she wasn't joking," she said, snapping her fingers, "And what about you? Would you go with it?"

"The main reason she suggested getting a harem is because we only had each other to play with. We didn't know anyone else our age when we were younger," Netto began, "I'm not sure if having a harem to be honest. But if I were somehow to get multiple girls to like me, I'd be sure to treat them right. I'd treasure them. That's what boyfriends do after all."

Kiko couldn't help but smile a little brighter upon hearing his words. She couldn't help but feel... touched. She's dated guys that her parents sat her up with, even flirted with some of the other boys at school, but none of them were able to make her feel the way she was feeling now. Now that she thought about it, his scent was smelling very sweet. He gave off an aroma that made her want to pounce on him right there. She wasn't able to explain it, but she was really starting to like him.

"I see. And if I were to join your little harem, would you treat me right?" Kiko leaned in, their noses starting to touch. Oh, she was so close now. So very close. All it would take was to close the distance a bit more and she would steal a kiss from him. The thought made her lick her lips.

"Y-yeah, of course," Netto nodded shyly. If his face were to become any redder, he'd be a tomato by now.

Kiko giggled as she backed up, "What a good little boy you are," she took him by the hand and pulled him onto his feet with her. "Let's go. There's still the tour we need to finish you know."

"R-right," Netto answered, his mind returning to normal as they pair walked off.

* * *

Kurumu was annoyed. Her plan to give Shinichi the cookies had ended up with Takeru taking one. If her Destined One ever found out what she had tried to do, he might end up hating her.

"Ugh...I shouldn't have done that!" Kurumu smacked herself in the head. She then took out a small paper bag from her pocket. Sometimes she just needed a snack to calm herself down. She took a cookie from the bag and bit into it. As she chewed, she tried to think of what to do next. She finished the cookie and took another one. Wow, these cookies were really good.

Wait, cookies?

Kurumu almost choked as she looked at the paper bag. These were the extra cookies she had laced with aphrodisiac! She had made them in case the first bag didn't work and Shinichi needed more!

"Oh shit!"

* * *

"So what do you think of the school so far, Netto?" Kiko asked, the two of them standing on the school's rooftop as they looked over the school property.

"Pretty expansive," Netto admitted. "Wasn't expecting the school to be so large."

"That's the wonders of having some good connections," Kiko smiled, "It's thanks to our families that this school is still running. The headmaster knows a lot of our families."

"So that would explain the club you belong too?" Netto asked.

"I wouldn't really call it a club," Kiko responded, "It's more like a gathering that we go to from time to time. We have a lot of extra time to kill during the week so we put it to good use. We study, hang out, and the like."

"Sounds pretty relaxing," Netto said.

"So, what do you do for fun?" she asked him.

"I kinda like collecting old computers and game consoles; basically old retro machines. I tinker with them and make them into completely new machines," Netto explained.

"You must really have a knack for machines," Kiko commented. "Pretty impressive."

"If you like, I could show you some of my equipment," Netto offered.

"Really?" Kiko blinked. "Sure, I'd like that sometime."

"Alright, cool," Netto nodded. The door suddenly opened, causing the duo to turn around at the sudden sound as someone entered.

"Hey, so this is where you've been huh?" Qiao smiled as she waved. Her eyes turned towards Kiko as she noticed her. "Who is this?"

"Oh, hey Qiao-chan," Netto created. "This is Kiko Kirishima. She's our sempai and she's been showing me around."

"She has?" Qiao asked, blinking.

"Yes I have," Kiko answered, walking up to her. She smiled slightly as she looked up and down at Qiao's form, "So you're his girlfriend, hm? Didn't think you'd look this cute."

"Oh, I get that quite a lot," Qiao giggled, holding her arms behind her back. "So what are you guys doing up here?"

"Just thought I could show him the nice view," Kiko answered, "And meet a few friends of mine."

"Eh?" Netto blinked.

Kiko's eyes turned to the wall next to the opened door, "So girls, do you want to say hi to your new underclassmen, or are just going to keep following us like a bunch of stalkers?" There was silence on the rooftops soon after that, with Netto looking somewhat confused and Qiao looking at the wall just as expectedly as Kiko. It didn't last long as the wall sudden shimmered before it suddenly came down, revealing a trio of girls before them.

"Didn't think you'd realize that we were here," Setsuna said, smirking as she pocketed what appeared to be a brush under her shirt and between her prominent breasts.

"When an area of space looks warped before your eyes, you can't help but be a little suspicious," Kiko retorted. "So what do you three want?"

"Oh, nothing," Miu said, "We just wanted to meet the cute kohai you recently found interest in."

"Ooooh, he looks yummy," Mari giggled as she blatantly oogled Netto's form.

"Girls, this is Netto Kusanagi and his girlfriend Qiao Xang," Kiko smiled as she presented the couple to her friends, "Netto and Qiao, let me introduce you the the other three members of Ryoukai's Best and more of your sempai. Miu Ryūzōji, the one with green hair, is the president of the flower arrangement club. Mari Kōgōryū, the one with black hair, is the cheerleader president. And last but not least is Setsuna Kazuaki. She's now in her third year."

"Welcome to Ryoukai High School!" the other three older girls greeted.

"Thanks for the welcoming party," Netto smiled back as he waved slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy over the fact that he was surrounded by beautiful girls.

"Just how did you girls pull off that magic act, anyway?" Qiao asked.

"You mean my Makai Brush?" Setsuna asked, pulling out said item from out of her shirt. "It's a pretty useful camouflage tool. Just about everyone in my family has this. It also lets me do this," she drew a circle out of thin air as a magic sphere appeared before them. And then an image of several people playing on the field showed on the orb.

* * *

It was PE Class and the students were out in the field. The boys would be running laps while the girls played softball. However, Kurumu seemed flushed for some reason. Her breathing was shallow and her mind couldn't focus on the game. Instead, her mind was more focused on Shinichi Sanban who was running alongside his classmates.

"Sensei!" Kurumu called out, "I...I don't feel too good!"

The PE teacher jogged up to Kurumu and examined her, looking up and down at her and pressing his hand on her forehead to check her body heat. It immediately turned his hand, causing him to pull it back from the sudden heat, "Oh geez, Kurono! You're burning up!" He then called out, "Hey, can someone help Kurono-san to the infirmary?" Immediately, the hands of all the boys were raised.

"Actually...can Shinichi...do it?" Kurumu requested, her panting growing heavy.

"I'll do it," Shinichi volunteered. The boys all facefaulted. Why did he have all the luck?

* * *

"So, Shinichi Sanban eh?" Qiao said as the orb vanished. "He's in our class too."

"Yep," Mari nodded, "The recent biggest thing to hit campus so far. He's snagged two girls for himself so far, something that no other boy in school can claim."

"And not just any girls..." Miu continued, "But a vampire and a succubus too."

"Vampire and succubus..." Netto blinked. "And how would you know that...?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kiko said sarcastically. "Considering that your girlfriend isn't human and all..."

"Ah, I knew something was strange about your auras," Qiao pointed out, "So you're all Youkai as well."

"And are all of Ryoukai's Best Youkai as well?" Netto asked.

"That's right," Miu nodded. "And not just us, there are other Youkai hidden in the school. I'm sure you knew that already, right?"

"Of course, Youkai tend to have more trouble keeping their hormones than humans do," Mari added. "If, by some sort of accident, a Youkai were to lose control of his or her hormones, it could be troublesome..."

* * *

It happened so fast that he didn't know what was coming. The moment they entered the infirmary, Kurumu had pulled Shinichi onto the bed and was now hovering over him on her hands and knees.

"Kurumu-chan, what's wrong?" he asked as he gazed up at her flushed face. It was like what had happened with Takeru.

"I can't stand it anymore..." she panted. She then took off her gym shirt, exposing her bra-clad breasts. "TAKE ME NOW!"

"EEEHHHHH!?"

* * *

He seethed in anger as he watched his goddess becoming chummy with the new kid, and if it wasn't bad enough three more lovely girls have now appeared to talk to him. How is this possible? What was he to them? He was just a low class trash that just arrived today! What was so special about him!?

"You're an angry young man. Filled with envy, am I right?" The kendo president jumped out the sound of a sudden voice. Turning around, he came face to face with the Man in Black.

"Who are you?" he remained, reaching for his shinai at his hip.

"It's unfair, isn't it? You saw her first. You had first dibs. Then he swooped in mind claimed her when she was yours by right."

"What can I do?"

The Man in Black held out a Freak Chip, "In this world, power is everything and with power you can take what you deserve." He didn't say anymore as the Freak Chip leaped at the kendo president and impaled the wires into his face.

* * *

**CRASH!**

The sudden noise caused Kurumu to scream, "KYAAAAA!" as Shinichi sat up, his ahoge standing on ends.

"Shit! Again!?" Shinichi tried to sit up but Kurumu pushed him back down on the bed. "Kurumu-chan, I need to go!"

"No!" she cried in protest, shaking her head. "I need you! Please! I need you!"

Shinichi grimaced. He hated to do this.

"OK, I understand," he said soothingly as he reached up and caressed her cheek, gently and sensually. She purred softly as a small, aroused smile slowly formed on her face. His hand then went over to her neck and then he pinched a nerve where her neck met her shoulder. Suddenly, Kurumu went rigid. Her eyes rolled up to the back of her head and then she collapsed on top of him. Shinichi patted her back and rolled her off his body, gently. He then pulled the blanket over her.

"Sorry about this," he apologized before dashing out of the infirmary. He really needed to thank Fran for the anatomy lessons. She really did know her nerves.

As Shinichi exited the infirmary, he ran into Moka who was panicking, Shinichi-kun, there's a-!"

"I know!" he interrupted.

"Where's Kurumu-chan?" Moka asked.

"She's fine. She's asleep. Can you look after her for me?" With that said, Shinichi ran past Moka to seek out the source of the disturbance. Moka just watched him go. If she was unsealed, then she could help him, but it seemed that Shinichi just didn't want to get her involved if he could help it.

"Be careful," she whispered.

* * *

**BOOM!**

The conversation between the four senior girls and the two juniors got abruptly interrupted by the door suddenly getting blasted opened. The collection of six teenagers all looked up at the doorway when... something appeared out of it. It was hard to tell what it was, but they could all see that it was large and had large red eyes glowing through what appeared to be a helmet.

"What the what?" Miu gasped. "What is that thing?!"

"Another one?" Netto frowned.

The creature snarled as it glared at Netto, _"Get away from her!"_ it roared before charging through at an alarming speed, breaking apart the doorway as it did. It plowed against Netto and continued moving onward into the fence. It smashed right through, causing the fence to crumble over the weight as they fell into the ground.

"Netto!" both Kiko and Qiao shouted.

"Oh my god!" Mari screamed as Setsuna watched with wide eyes.

Netto gritted his teeth as his Cyber Reactor appeared around his waist, the energy pulsing inside as he began to transform. "Henshin!" he shouted out.

"**Digitizing!"**

**(Insert song - Hand Off - Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation)**

His body separated into blue blocks and zipped away from the monster and safely to the ground. He reformed back to his armored form upon landing as his eyes flashed. Standing up from his crouch, he watched as the beast crash landed into the dirt with a loud slam. As the students all ran away in fright from the sudden commotion, Mega could now see the monster's full form.

* * *

Shinichi ran through the field and to the front of the schools entrance door, ready for another fight. Getting to his destination, he peered through the trees as he saw the cause. As expected a Freak was on a rampage as students fled in panic as the monster went berserk. The Freak this time was tall and had a Centaurian build, humanoid from the waist up and attached to an equine body. It was bedecked in organic armor that seemed to be designed after an European knight's suit of armor. It even had the helmet worn over its head. A horseshoe was mounted on the chest as a decorative piece and it also had a long mane of hair coming out from an opening on the helmet. Said helmet also sported a horn. As for arms, it seemed that its arms were fused to the weapons it wielded. the left arm was a spiral lance, resembling a huge screw or a drill. Attached to the right arm was a shield. Overall it made for a fantastic yet terrifying sight. Looking forward, he could also see Mega readying himself for the fight.

"Maybe I should sit back and wait if he needs me," Shinichi remarked, his Battle Driver activating its standby mode. "Then I could get some answers."

* * *

Mega jumped onto the Centaur Freak's back. Immediately, it started to buck wildly in an attempt to throw him off. However, a Mega had a firm grip on the Freak as he wrapped his arms around its neck from behind. Finally, it managed to throw Mega off but the armored teen flipped through the air and landed safely on his feet.

The sound of galloping alerted him and Mega immediately went into action. "Access: Photon Debugger!"

Instantly, his energy katana appeared in his hand just as the Centaur Freak thrust its spiral lance at him. He clashed it against his sword, spark flying, and kept it steady and away from him as he dug his heels into the ground.

"_She's mine! Get out of my way!_" roared the Centaur Freak. Mega grimaced. Speech was a sign of intelligence thus an indication that this was a Level 2 Freak. "_Anyone who gets in my way of her must die!_"

"Nobody dying here!" Mega shot back in protest.

"_Yes, they will! Starting with you!_" The Centaur Freak stood on its hind legs and stomped back down, the impact causing him to be sent flying from the shockwave. Mega tumbled across the ground before slamming against a tree.

Grunting, Mega sat up and felt sore on his chest. Examining his chest-plate, he found two horse-shoe shaped dents on them. "Damn," he cursed as he heard galloping again and he looked up and saw the Centaur Freak coming at him again. This time the spiral lance was rotating like a drill with him as the target. "Oh, shit!" He returned to his feet quickly as the Freak thrust. Sparks flew as the spinning spiral lance clipped the side of his helmet. In retaliation, Mega used an upper slash from his sword and connected to the Freak's chest. The impact only momentarily stunned the Freak before Mega was bashed to the ground by the shield. The Freak then stomped on Mega's chest with his front hooves, pinning the armored teen down.

"_This will teach you to take my precious goddess from me_," swore the Centaur Freak, the spinning spiral lance leveled at Mega's face.

"**Pincer On! OK!" **

A powerful laser beam slammed into the Centaur Freak's chest, blasting it backwards and into a heap. Mega, realising that he had not been gouged, looked up at who just saved him. It was Dusk, his Pincer Claw snapping as he walked out from behind one of the trees. Dusk looked at Mega with both of their yellow eyes locking to one another. "I guess this means we're even," Mega said.

Dusk walked over and offered his hand. Mega took it and Dusk helped him up. "Look's that way," he nodded. "Want to finish this?" Dusk offered, gesturing to the Centaur Freak.

"OK," Mega accepted.

Both armored teens faced the recovering Freak and marched towards it with weapons drawn. Dismissing his Pincer Claw as the pieces reverted back to shoulder pads, Dusk fished out a new chip and inserted it into his belt.

"**Duskalibur On! OK!**"

The Man in Black was watching from afar, eyes narrowed. "2 on 1 hardly seems fair. Better shift the odds." He took out a remote and pressed a button. Around Dusk and Mega, beams of red surrounded the field. Once the light cleared, they found themselves surrounded. All around them was an army of humanoid androids. Their bodies were made of an unknown metal, possibly steel, and were colored dark gray. Several spots of red highlight their bodies. A retractable visor-mask covers their faces when they are activated. The inside of the androids did not seem to have any mechanical configuration, comprised completely of a bright red color. Each one of them made electronic humming sounds as they prepared to attack.

"The AK-130 Androids," the Man in Black said, looking over the battlefield. "Alone they are weak, but in numbers... deadly. Let's see how you and your comrade can handle them, #13."

Dusk and Mega ended up back-to-back, staring down their new opponents. The Battle Chip using warrior spoke with a grimace, "As if things weren't difficult enough."

"You use these, right?" Mega held out some Battle Chips to Dusk. "Fought some of those monsters and these popped out."

"Thanks," Dusk took the chips and briefly studied them. The first depicted an image of soundwaves, the second looked like some type of arm cannon, and the third had the picture of a smoke puff. They might come in handy. "Call me Dusk."

"Mega, but you already knew that."

Dusk nodded. Right now they were facing a small army of enemies. Luckily, Dusk had a way to deal with armies.

"On 3, we move," Dusk instructed.

"OK," Mega nodded. The AK-130s raised their arms to activate machine guns mounted inside, spinning as they prepared to fire.

"OK...3!" Dusk shouted as he dashed at the AK-130.

"What!?" Mega exclaimed. What happened to 1 and 2?

"**Copy On! OK!"**

Dusk duplicated himself, each of his copies holding a Duskalibur as they deflected the shots aimed at them. The shots met with each of the swords and ricochet off before the armor of Dusks charged in and attacked the AK-130s with swings of their swords. The Dusks were clearly much stronger than the androids as each one took them down easily, moving on to another quickly. Still, there were plenty of them.

"So much for planning," Mega shrugged. He dismissed his sword before clasping his hands at the sides of his belt and shouted, "Access: Shishi!"

"**Inferno Leo!"** the belt called out.

A field of red codes surrounded him in flash of light. Once it all cleared out, his body armor had changed shape. His bodysuit became red, his armor turned orange and the circuitry patterns vanished. The gems also turned red in color. His helmet now looked as if a top portion of a feline face was unsuccessfully attempting to swallow his head and his visor turned orange. Lastly, his shoulder pads took the appearance of lion paws. Extending from the back of his head was a steel wool-like mane of hair that spiked out wildly. He reached out with his right hand and red digital codes appeared out and took form of a red staff with orange edges. He grabbed it and twirled it around to get a good feel of it.

"May as well join in!" Inferno Leo Mega said, moving in to join the fight. The AK-130s saw him coming and locked their firepower on him, but he deflected the shots with each swing of his staff, flames erupting from the ends as he did. As he reached one of the androids, he used an overhead smash to crush it into a smoldering pile of junk. Another one turned their hands from machine guns to razor sharp blades and tried to shank him from behind. Relying on instinct, he jumped upward and sent a flaming kick into its face. The impact caused it to actually fly out into the sky and vanish in a twinkle. He spun his Leo Staff around, flames flaring up in a storm, before knocking around several more androids that came after him. He swung it around and tore off an androids leg, and then impaled another one in the stomach, incinerating it very quickly. He spun his staff overhead and slammed it into the ground, causing a wave a fire to erupt and knock back the AK-130s with extreme force.

The Centaur Freak wasn't stupid. Greedy yes, but not stupid. He clearly knew that he was outmatched. Reclaiming his goddess wasn't worth it. Deciding to live another day, he turned tail and rain.

"He looks like he's trying to get away!" Mega shouted as he pointed at the Centaur Freak that was galloping away, fleeing the battle.

"Not if I can help it!" Dusk replied as he slid a Battle Chip into his Battle Driver.

"**Booster On! OK!"**

"Ikuze!" Dusk exclaimed as he took to the skies. He flew through the air and blasted over the trees, already reaching the Centaur Freak as it galloped through the streets, jumping over the cars as they narrowly missed him.

"Better end this before it gets out of hand," Dusk said as he slid in one more Battle Chip into his belt.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

His rocket pack's output increased dramatically as Dusk came down at the fleeing Centaur Freak. The rocket pack boosted the speed of his descent. He was like a meteorite falling towards Earth, trailing fire upon reentry. This time his body was posed to execute a flying kick instead of his signature drill kick.

The Centaur Freak turned and raised his shield to defend himself. However, that wouldn't be enough. As soon as Dusk's kick connected with the shield, the explosive force of the attack made it shatter in an instant. Now, wide open and without a means to defend himself, the Centaur Freak was at the receiving end of a series of kicks as Dusk continued to swing his legs. The bicycle kick sent the Freak skidding backwards with each strike before a final one sent him flying.

**(End song)**

The Centaur Freak exploded in mid-air and an emaciated teenage boy fell from the fireball, lying on his back in agony as he gasped for breath. Then, the Freak Chip he had used to become a monster rose from his body. It had turned into a Battle Chip.

Recognizing Dusk as the victor, the Battle Chip flew into his hand. He examined it and noted it, "The Lance Chip, huh? This might be useful."

* * *

When Dusk returned to the school, he saw that Mega had already fled the scene. Another opportunity to ask him questions was gone, but he was confident that he would see the blue armored guy again. Undoing his transformation, he went back into school where almost everyone had fled, but Moka and Kurumu were still safe in the infirmary. Kurumu was awake and back to her normal self, or at least normal as she'll ever be considering her tendencies.

"Are you feeling alright, Kurumu-chan?" Moka asked her, as the trio walked back to the dorms.

"Yeah..." Kurumu said in a slight daze, rubbing her head. "I have a bit of a headache though."

"You sure? Whatever was going on with Takeru was happening to you too," Shinichi said, arching an eyebrow. "Is it some sort of contagious succubus illness?"

"D-don't worry about it!" Kurumu laughed in a cute yet award way as she rubbed the back of her head, "It's not contagious at all! It must've been some coincidence! Hahaha~!"

"Well, if you say so," Shinichi smiled. She seemed to be hiding something, but he decided not to pry too much. Maybe it really was a succubus thing. Personally, he wouldn't mind too much with tending to her needs. It just wasn't the time for that.

"So, Shinichi," Kurumu continued, "Why do you fight those Freaks anyway?"

Shinichi sighed. "I guess it's because they're just wrong," he replied.

"Wrong?" Moka looked confused.

"They're unnatural," he clarified. "Then again, that's kind of hypocritical." He stared at his hand and flexed his fingers. "Am I so different from them?"

"Yes, you are different," Moka assured him, entangling her fingers with his. "You're not some rampaging monster. You fight them."

"I'm the only who can, or at least I was," Shinichi shrugged. "That Mega...who is he?" he wondered.

"Who knows? We'll figure it out eventually," Kurumu reassured him.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Shinichi nodded, smiling. They had all the time in the world to figure him out.

* * *

Days passed as the sudden attack of the Centaur Freak passed through. There were witness of the monster rampaging through the streets before it was destroyed in a haze of fire and an emaciated teenaged boy was in its place. The boy in question was the Kendo Club President from Ryoukai High, who like the Student Council President saw women as his playthings, but he was more of a creepy stalker rather than a loud mouth ham. He was sent to the hospital for immediate medical attention and it didn't seem like he would be back to school for a while before he made a full recovery.

The midterms were just around the corner and everyone was going for one last cram session after the short excitement went down. Some felt prepared, while others were still freaking out. One of those who were prepared was Netto. He was currently looking over some extra notes with Qiao as they walked to school together. After the fight with the Freak, he checked on to see if the girls were alright. Qiao was fine, but Kiko, Miu, Mari and even Setsuna had already started to ask him questions on his armor and powers after seeing him in action. That was to be expected as they were all very sure that he was human by blood. As much as he wanted to answer their questions, he wasn't sure about what he was himself.

"Man, I can't believe we have to do this mid-term," Qiao frowned as she looked over her notes, "Too many stuff to memorize. Kung fu is easier. At least you have fun doing it as you learn."

"Says you," Netto remarked, "You're the one who can memorize things by looking at them once."

"I can memorize _techniques_," she clarified. "That's totally different."

"Sure, whatever you say," Netto smiled lightly, "Just think of the exam as a game, it'll be fine. Just remember that I'm with you, so you don't have to worry."

Qiao grinned, "You sound really sure of yourself."

"Well," Netto admitted bashfully, "It comes with having a girlfriend who has the confidence that's bigger than the sun's."

Qiao smiled as her eyes gained a sexy half-lidded look that held the promise of a long make-out session later. Netto blushed as his face gained a red tint. His girlfriend really knew how to make him turn into jelly in her hands. Most people saw it as interesting that the girl was the dominant one in the relationship rather than it being the other way around. Netto didn't mind it at all, in fact, he enjoyed it. Other people would find his receiving status as cute. And one of those people...

"Hey, you two!" Kiko greeted, suddenly appearing behind them as she wrapped her arms around their shoulders. Smiling, she asked, "Ready for the mid-terms I presume?"

"Hey, Kiko!" Qiao smiled back, "Been a while! What's up?"

"Oh, you know how it is," Kiko giggled. She turned to Netto with a smile, "So Netto, me and the girls have been doing some talking about the other day."

"You were?" Netto blinked.

"Seeing you take on that monster... what did you call it? A Freak? It was quite mainly of you," she stated.

"Well, I do try," Netto said. "I would've had my head torn off if it wasn't for Dusk though."

"Ah yes, the other mystery man in the suit of armor," Kiko nodded, "Yes, if it wasn't for him, I might not have gotten the chance to do this."

"Do wh- memph!?"

Before Netto could ask, Kiko leaned in a locked her lips against his and pulled him into a deep kiss. His eyes widened as her right arm tightened around his neck and her left arm slipped around his back. His mind was racing with many questions now and he was too stunned to even move, let alone the fact that there was major tounge action. It ended just as quickly as it came as Kiko broke the kiss and gazed down at him with husky green eyes.

"Kiko... what...?" Netto managed to breath out.

"I think I'll kick start this harem of yours," Kiko said, a light panting in her breath. "To be honest, I think I've just fallen in love with you. The other boys in school do seem nice, but some of them just like me for my looks and others seem me as out of their league. You though, like me for me. And I like that in someone as cute as you," she turned to Qiao, who was stareing in surprise at the kiss. "That's fine with you, right?"

"Eh?" Qiao blinked out of her shock, "Yeah, sure! We look forward to playing with you, Kiko-chan!" she smiled brightly.

"And I with you," Kiko smiled, looping her arm under Netto's. "Hoo boy, this is sure to cause an uproar in school."

"I can only imagine," Netto said slowly, still loopy over the kiss. Netto now ended up with two girls at both sides of his arms as they walked to school. As they were walking , no one seemed to notice a head of black hair and purple eyes poking out from behind a tree and stareing at Netto's back.

"_Siiiiiiiiiiiine~."_

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: And that's Chapter 5. Netto appears to be the second harem king of Ryoukai high school and is on the track of getting another girl. What is it about him and Shinichi that's so special? Who knows? Hope you all enjoy reading it. Remember, I can't know what you think of the story so far so be sure to leave reviews. And by the way, "sine" is Latin for "stare". You can already guess where this may be going.**

**The AK-130 Androids are footsoldier type enemies featured in the most recent Roosterteeth web epic called RWBY. So far, they were only featured in one of the episodes so not much is known about them. Here, they will be the footsoldiers for the unknown enemies that our heroes are against.**


	6. Gothic Romance

The mid-term exams had finally passed, allowing the students to breath a sigh of relief before the exam results came up. Kurumu was one of those who took advantage of the off time as she began to come up with Plan B in snagging Shinichi's heart. She was skipping towards his home with a paper bag that held a box. It was a Gundam Plastic Model Kit. The next phase of her plan was to relate to his hobby. That was why she had bought the model kit, so that she could have him help her put it together. It was a good excuse to spend more time with him.

However, she wasn't the only one thinking the same thing.

Moka never had much when it came to hobbies, but her inner self enjoyed fighting. It was what she mostly ever did when with her sisters and father. And who could blame them? Vampires were proud beings who only view respect in strength. She figured that she could get started with Gundam Models as a hobby. It was also a chance to get to know him better.

She had gone to a Hobby Shop and after seeing the selection, she asked what would be good for a beginner like herself. The shopkeeper recommended one of the SD Gundams. SD as in Superior Defender, or as its more commonly known, Super Deformed. They were small, looked adorable for small machines of destruction, and not as complex. They were good to start with.

* * *

Shinichi was his room, with parts for a new Gundam model kit all spread out over the instruction sheet. However, at the moment he was taking a break. He had already assembled the parts so all that was left was putting them together to make a complete model. Before that, though, he wanted it to look good and presentable so that meant filing down some of the bits on the parts after removing them from their trays.

Right now, he was taking a break. He had his Battle Chips out and was examining the ones he had gained from Mega. The Soundwave Chip, Smoke Chip, and Blaster Chip. There must've been some Freaks that he wasn't aware of. Regardless, these would be useful later.

There was a knock on the door, alerting Shinichi to look up, "Yes?" The door opened and his guardian walked in smiling.

Fran commented as she gazed at the new Battle Chips, "Looks like you've got yourself a few new addition to your collection."

"Got them from a new ally," he told her.

"Ally? Not friend?" Fran cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't know him well enough to call him a friend but he's already helped me more than enough to just be called an acquaintance," he reasoned. He then asked, "By the way, is there a reason why you're up here?"

"Your girlfriends are here," Fran informed him.

"Girlfriends?" Shinichi repeated and then he blushed once he realized whom she was talking about. "Kurumu-chan and Moka-san? They're not my girlfriends."

"Well, aren't they girls who are your friends?" Fran smiled playfully.

Shinichi wanted to retort but closed his mouth. He then stood up and exited the room with Fran sighing.

"Hm, he should've taken the bait," she remarked.

* * *

Kurumu and Moka were sitting in the living room when Shinichi came down to see them. He saw that they had something that might interest him.

"An SD Knight Gundam and Strike Rouge," Shinichi spoke as he looked at both boxes. He then looked at both girls, "So, you came all the way here so I could teach you how to put them together?"

"Actually, yes," Moka nodded, smiling shily, "Since you know all of this best, we thought we could come to you."

Fran lamented, "I wish he would help me with my protects. Putting together bodies isn't so different from putting together plastic models."

Shinichi retorted, "Yes, it is." He then addressed the girls, "And sure, I'll help you girls put them together. Come up to my room. I was in the process of putting a new one together so I could show you how it's done."

The two girls smiled. Now they had the chance to see Shinichi's bedroom.

* * *

Looking around upon entering, the girls saw that Shinichi's bedroom was pretty much what one would expect from a high school boy. He had posters on a wall, a bed, a TV with a video game console and a bookshelf. Besides book, he had Gundam models standing on display.

"Wow, you built these?" Kurumu admired the models.

"Yeah," Shinichi answered. "It's kind of my hobby." He then instructed, "Now, come and sit down. I'm gonna teach you how to put together these model kits."

He opened the boxes and took out the trays along with the instruction manuals. He instructed the girls that the first thing they needed to do was to organize their parts. He also showed them the proper way to remove the parts from their sprues as well as smoothing their edges. He also talked about how old model kits needed glue to be assembled before snap-together parts were made.

He wasn't going to put the models together for the girls. He was going to show them how to do it themselves. It would take concentration and focus so that they could get the models done right. Additionally, he told them that some hobbyists customized their models.

Moka seemed to understand the instructions as she put the parts together while Kurumu had to glance back at them every once in awhile so that she wouldn't get things mixed up. After hours of work, the two girls finally finished their models.

"Nicely done," Shinichi complimented as he admired the two models. "Very nicely done, for beginners."

"So, you said something about customizing," Kurumu smiled.

"Well, like I said, a lot of hobbyists like to customize their models," Shinichi explained. "I did some custom work on my models myself. My own personal touch."

"It must've taken a lot of time," Moka remarked.

"It does at first," Shinichi remarked. "But once you get used to it, it becomes a cinch. All it takes is time and effort, see?"

"I'm sure it does," Kurumu said. Then she asked, "So, have you managed to figure out anything new about the Freaks yet?"

Shinichi crossed his arms in thought, "Not really, but Fran-san thinks someone is handing out the Freak Chips," Shinichi answered.

"Well, they do have to come from somewhere," Kurumu pointed out. "You know, after what happened almost a week ago I was thinking... maybe the suppliers are spying on the school?"

"Kurumu-chan might be right," Moka said, nodding. "I mean, the Student Body President did get turned into a Freak. And now the Kendo Team's captain suffered the same fate... whoever's handing out the chips might be nearby."

"They probably know what happened to me too," whispered Shinichi.

"What was that?" Kurumu asked.

"Nothing," Shinichi answered quickly. "If they are spying on the school and turning people into Freaks, why are they doing it? What purpose does it serve?"

"Maybe its a super top secret organization that's plotting to take over the world!" Kurumu said dramatically. Moka and Shinichi looked at her oddly at her exclamation. The succubus sweatdropped meekly before she continued, "Why else would the turn people into monsters? It's obviously nothing good!"

"She's probably right," Moka agreed.

"It is pretty obvious," Shinichi nodded. "I guess we might have to do a bit of investigating later on. See if we can find anyone handing the Freak Chips out. It's worth a shot."

There was a knock at the door and Shinichi answered, "Yes?"

The door opened to reveal Howl, "Dinner is ready."

"Dinner?" Shinichi blinked then looked set the clock. "Wow, time flies." He turned to the girls and asked, "You girls wanna join in?"

"OK!" both girls answered quickly.

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 6: Gothic Romance**

* * *

The very next day, the mid-term results had come up and were posted on the bulletin board. Several of the students moaned in mortification, shock and terror as they saw their names among the end of the list.

"What the hell!? That can't be right!"

"Aw crap! I suck!"

"It's the end! It's the freaking end! I'm never coming back from this! My parents are gonna murder me!"

"Better than mine at least!"

Others felt happy, relieved and proud that they were among the top scores.

"Yes! I aced it!"

"Man, I thought I was a goner!"

"Woohoo! Now I can get that XBox One my parents promised me!"

"XBox One? No way dude! You're better off with a PS4!"

Among those at the top of the list was Shinichi. He was ranked 2nd on the list.

"Guess I did OK," Shinichi admitted as he found his name.

"You nerd!" Takeru yelled as he pointed an accusing finger at Shinichi.

"Huh?" Shinichi blinked.

"You fucking nerd! It's not cool to be at the top of the list!" Takeru whined.

"You're just pissy over the fact that you're #59 on the list," Saji said, rolling his eyes. "Don't blame anyone but yourself bluetard." He turned to Shinichi and patted him on the back with a smile. "Congratulations. You did good."

"You did pretty good too," Shinichi agreed. "Lucky number 7 ain't a bad spot for you."

"I don't understand why I hang out with a pair of nerds," whined Takeru.

"I should've studied a bit harder," Moka sighed as she found her name. She was ranked 13th.

"It's no problem. You still did good," Shinichi said. He directed his attention to Kurumu and asked, "How did you do, Kurumu-chan?"

"I'm on 36," Kurumu answered, sighing, "I guess I should've studied a bit more."

"So who got #1?" Shinichi asked.

"Oh, um..." Moka muttered looking over the list. She smiled as she found the name, "Ah! It's Kusanagi-san!" Their new classmate had claimed the top spot.

Shinichi hadn't had a chance to speak with their new classmate. The opportunity never presented itself and things just turned up to get in the way. Looking around, he spotted Netto with Qiao also looking at the list. Smiling, he approached them.

"Congratulations, Kusanagi-san, for getting the top spot," praised Shinichi.

"Hey, you're Sanban-san, right?" Netto asked.

"Shinichi Sanban," Shinichi confirmed as he bowed.

"Netto Kusanagi. Nice to meet you," Netto returned the bow. While there were people in modern Japan who used handshakes, there were some who still used the traditional bow in greeting each other.

"Oh, we've met," Shinichi corrected. "You had a gun aimed at me awhile back."

"You mean the Paintball Club?" Netto asked. "I thought you looked familiar."

"The eyes," both of them said in unison. The visors of their masks were transparent, letting them see each other's eyes. Of course, it was still surprising to be able to recognize each other from that.

Shinichi whispered, "By the way, don't let my friends know it was _you_. Takeru's still miffed about getting hit by a paint grenade."

"Sure, no problem," Netto nodded.

"So, you're Qiao Xang right?" Shinichi said, turning to the Chinese girl next to him. "What rank did you get?"

"5," she answered, folding her arms behind her head. "Cramming was torment, but I managed to get one of the top scores."

"That's great, Xang-san," Shinichi smiled. "So, you guys both wanna hang out with us? We never did get the chance to chat..."

"Yeah, that sounds pretty cool," Netto nodded. "What do you think, Qiao-chan?" Qiao was about to answer when she suddenly found herself interrupted.

"Excuse me?" a somewhat monotone voice greeted. Shinichi, Netto and Qiao turned to see a beautiful, milky white skinned, older girl with long silky black hair that reached the small of her back and purple eyes. She was dressed in a very black version of Ryoukai High's uniform, consisting of a black jacket over a white shirt, with an equally black mini skirt, green pantyhose, with black leather boots that reached her knees. Gold bracelets and anklets were adorned around her wrists and ankles, which jiggled as she moved. Her breasts seemed to be slightly larger than Kurumu's. "Can you tell me where I can find Netto Kusanagi?"

"That... would be me," Netto said, somewhat unnerved by the strange girl. She walked up to him and leered at him, as if wanting to get a closer look, "...Yes?"

"I heard that you got the highest score among the first years," she smiled in what sounded like a thick Hungarian accent. "I also heard that you caused quite a stir over the past few weeks."

"So you got number 1 among the second years?" Shinichi asked, blinking.

"Sadly no. I'm number 10 among the second years," the girl replied, not taking her eyes off Netto. "I am Usha Lamia Lilitu. You may call me Usha-sama."

"Yeah..." Qiao nodded slowly, slightly put off with her odd name.

"I heard about you," Netto said, remember her name from memory, "You're one of the girls of Ryoukai's Best, right?"

"I am," Usha said, standing up right, "I've heard that you managed charm Kiko Kirishima enough for her to claim you. That is a feat no other boy has managed to accomplish."

"She really does seem to like me," Netto nodded slowly.

"I'm not surprised. You do look attractive," Usha smiled. She turned around and waved at him, "Perhaps we can get to know another sometime," she said as she walked away. Once she was out of sight, Netto straightened out his hair as it seemed to fizz out from yet another pretty elder girl suddenly showing interest in him.

"She seems nice," Shinichi said, blinking. "What was that she said about Kirishima-sempai claiming you?" he asked him.

"I'll tell you all about it later," Netto told him. "So, where do you wanna hang out?"

"Pretty much anywhere we want," Shinichi shrugged. "We can come with if you like."

"Sounds fun!" Qiao grinned.

"You two! Tell me your secrets!" demanded Takeru, having overseen another female sempai saunter over to Netto.

"I'd tell you if I knew," Shinichi remarked truthfully.

"Don't look at me," Netto added.

"Maybe they aren't such major perverts like you are," Saji said as the seven friends walked away from the bulletin board.

"Oh, come on! You're still going on with that? I don't even remember what happened!" Takeru insisted. As they went on their way, the black haired goth hid behind a pillar as she stared intently at Netto.

"_Siiiiiiiiiiiine..."_

* * *

Shipping a cup of coffee at a Starbucks restaurant, the Man in Black flipped through some newspaper pages as he was leafing through current events. Looking through the daily news was another excellent source of searching for more potentials that can work with the Freak Chips. It was a shame that it wasn't always successful though. Not to mention that Dusk and his companions have always been interfering with his research. Even since his escape, Dusk has been seeing to it that all his experiments got scrapped. He didn't know why #13 had suddenly gone rogue. Perhaps it was a glitch in his systems. Either way, he would have him back and reprogram him back to normal. And maybe the Mega character as well while he was at it.

Reaching one particular page, he saw a picture of the Centaur Freak running across the street. Next to it was a short article about the incident with the title reading "**ARE THERE MONSTERS AMONG US?'**.

"How troublesome," the Man in Black muttered, frowning. "We will need to deal with this quickly..." They can't have people knowing about them, otherwise it could all get problematic for them very soon. They already have Youkai aware of them thanks to #13, but they were merely children. They would be dealt with very soon.

As the Man in Black continued reading, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He reached into his pocket and pressed it against his ear to answer. "Yes?"

"_What is the update of your status?"_ the man on the other end, presumably Zero, asked.

"Lord Zero," the Man in Black greeted, "I managed to find a few more worthy candidates that might have been Overlord worthy... unfortunately they have been defeated and incapacitated."

"_I am aware of that,"_ Zero retorted, _"What I need to know is what do you plan to do about #13? He has been interfering for too long. His senses allow him to detect Freaks when they are active and is causing us to waste more of our resources. He needs to be dealt with as soon as possible."_

"Understood," the Man in Black nodded. "What of the Youkai?"

"_We can't have them interfering with us as well. They must be dealt with too,"_ Zero ordered. _"Which reminds me..."_

The was a soft glow on his phone, a dim green glow, causing the Man in Black to pull his face away as something small slowly flew out of the phone's screen. The Man in Black grabbed the object just as the light died out and looked at it closely. It looked like an ornate looking zippo lighter.

"What is this?" the Man in Black asked as he put the phone back against his head.

"_That is a Syn Lighter,"_ Zero replied. _"It is a holy item used by the monster hunters to identify demons. You only need to light the flame up in front of a target and it will reveal that target's true self."_

"I see..." the Man in Black nodded slowly, flicking the lighter opened. It released a small green flame as he did, "This should be very useful. Thank you, Lord Zero."

"_Do not let us down. We still need to find the Five Overlords,"_ Zero reminded/warned him. The line was cut off without so much as a goodbye.

The Man in Black closed the top of the lighter, and pocketed safely. Drinking the last bit of his coffee, he sighed. "Time to go back to work I suppose."

* * *

"So you two have been together for awhile now, huh?" Kurumu asked both Netto and Qiao as she noted how they were both holding hands. The group of friends where perched up on the rooftops of the school and were overlooking the view. It was a very nice view of the town and not many people came up here. This gave the group to chat without being interrupted.

"Airen and I have been together for as long as I can remember," beamed Qiao lovingly. "We've been friends since we were kids."

"Childhood romance?" Takeru grinned, "That's so cute."

"I guess... it sorta is," Shinichi frowned slightly at the mention of 'childhood'. He didn't remember his. All he remembered before coming to this school were the months he spent, homeless, and on the run from his enemies. He remembered having to always fight, and fight, and fight. He remembered being starved and cold.

Those days were in the past but he couldn't help but remember them from time to time. When he saw a family on an outing he couldn't help but think about what he didn't have. Then he'd mentally reassure himself that he did have a family, unconventional though it may be. He had Fran and everyone else in the Madaraki household. They were his family now. They had given him a roof over his head, a place to sleep, food to eat and a home. They may not be related by blood but they were his family nonetheless.

"Is something wrong, Shinichi-kun?" Moka asked the bespectacled boy.

"What? It's nothing," he insisted. "Why do you ask?"

"You zoned out," she pointed.

"Was just thinking about something important. It's fine. Nothing's wrong."

"You both knew each other as kids," Kurumu continued, "How? When did you meet? Don't leave anything out!"

"We were both adopted by the same old man," Netto explained, "We both call him gramps, even though he isn't really our grandfather." Shinichi blinked. So Netto and Qiao were adopted too.

"So you pretty much grew up together," continued Moka. "How did you end up a couple?"

"We didn't really have many friends when we were younger, and I always liked to tease him," Qiao answered, "He always looked cute when he was flustered. Grandad always said that since we lived together I was like a sister to him. But we aren't related by blood so I could thinking him as cute whenever I wanted. So basically it was an affection that grew over time."

"How romantic," sighed Kurumu. "I'm kinda jealous. I never had anything like that."

"Yeah, childhood romance is the best kind of romance," Takeru said.

"Who said that?" Saji asked with a crocked eyebrow.

"No one. I just always wanted to say that," Takeru shrugged.

"Sounds like you have experience," Kurumu remarked.

"Well, I did know a few girls back when I was a kid," Takeru commented.

Moka turned to look at Shinichi. He seemed oddly quiet. Worried, she asked him, "Shinichi-kun? What's wrong?"

"Hm?" Shinichi shook out of his funk, "Oh, it's nothing." He then asked Netto, "So Kusanagi-san, I heard that one of the second year girls happened to have taken a liking towards you."

"Yeah, that's right..." Takeru nodded, frowning as he remembered what had set him off, "How'd the heck did you managed to do it! Everyone knows Kiko Kirishima! She always flirts with guys and she's never dated anyone younger than her! Yet word on the street is that just the other day she kissed you full on the mouth! What was up with that?!"

"She kissed you?" Moka asked, blushing. "But doesn't she know that you're taken?"

"I don't really mind sharing with her," Qiao smiled, looking unabashed. "Personally I think it'd be fun to have another girl playing with us."

Moka could only respond with her eyebrows twitching slightly. She's fine with having other girls like her boyfriend. That was a new one she's heard. She never imagined that someone would be willing to go through with it.

"Huh... interesting," Saji nodded slowly.

"I'll say," Takeru quipped, "That's a lot of playmates. Bow-chicka-bow-wow."

"Shut up, numbnuts," Saji glared. "That's not the only thing though. There's also that Usha Lamia Lilitu girl who's suddenly taken a liking to you."

"What about her?" Moka asked.

"She's one of the popular girls, there's no doubt about that," Saji began, "But she's also a bit of a hazard."

"Hazard?" Shinichi asked. "What do you mean by that?"

"She's a grade A bitch," Saji said bluntly. All eyes turned wide as the faced Saji as he continued, "Oh sure, all the other fellas just adore her for her mysterious, romantic goth appearance. She looks like some sorta dark goddess doesn't she? The fact that she came from Middle Europe just makes her appear more untouchable. The problem is that she's has a problem with talking trash on folks she views as bellow her. She hardly talks with anyone, and she's always readin' one of them books of hers. So how come she's suddenly showin' interest in you?"

Netto rubbed his chin as he frowned in thought, "I'm... not sure." Was that what Usha was really like? Just a bitch?

"Well, maybe it's best if you just be careful around her," Shinichi said heedfully, "If Saji's right about her, and he's usually right about anything, she might be playing some kind of cruel joke on you."

"She would actually do that?" Qiao asked, frowning. She was already not liking the sound of this girl.

"This is the first time I've heard about her, but it pays to be careful," Shinichi answered.

"Thanks for the warning... I suppose," Netto nodded.

* * *

The day eventually passed by and school came to an end. Most were dreading to return back home due to their low test scores. Netto had just finished with his final class and was on his way to meet up with Qiao. Kiko had invited the both of them to spend some time with her at her dorm. As he was about to round a corner, he found himself intercepted by Usha.

"Lilitu-sempai?" he asked, blinking.

Usha smiled as she took him by the arm, "Come with me," was all she said before pulling him along.

"Hey, Usha! I have somewhere I need to go!" Netto protested as he was hopelessly being pulled.

"Do not worry. This won't take long," she answered back as she she walked out with him still in tow. The other students who were still around saw this and all had various reactions. Most of the boys howled at the heavens, asking why God had forsaken them. The girls in the meantime, looked at awe and with some jealousy. Netto, it seemed, had a knack for attracting older girls.

* * *

"You want me to do _what_?" Shinichi questioned in disbelief. He had just arrived back to the mansion when Fran came up to him with an odd request. He was well used to his guardian's habits and her tendency to mutilate those who crossed her, but this was her strangest request yet!

"I want you to bring a Freak back with you for me to study," Fran repeated.

"What for?"

"Well, I want to know how exactly the Freak Chip alters a human body when it transforms into a Freak. I know the effects of a Freak Chip once it has been forcefully removed, but not what happens while it's active. So, that's why I want you to capture a Freak for me, alive," Fran explained.

"That might not be so easy," Shinichi told her.

"Just knock one out, if you can," she pleaded. "Please?" She put her hands together and looked at him with sad, puppy-dog eyes. From the way they were looking, they were threatening to fall out of her eye sockets.

It was always irritating when they did that.

Shinichi rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'll try. I won't make any promises, though. They've been getting stronger recently."

"All the more reason why we need a fresh Freak," Fran said logically, "If we examine the Freak's organs then there's a possibility that we can discover what makes them tick. We can also find out the nature of the Freak Chips while they have the host possessed."

"I guess it does make some sense," Shinichi nodded, grudgingly admitting to her logic. "Wouldn't that mean we would have to cut them open, though?"

"I know how to keep my subjects alive," Fran defended.

"I guess, so long as there are no repercussions later," Shinichi reasoned. Most of her clients tend to end up like that. And they were never pretty.

"I'll give you time to get me a Freak. All I ask is that you do this for me."

"Yeah, no pressure," sighed Shinichi. His cell phone suddenly rang in his pocket. Shinichi pulled out the device and answered, "Hello?"

"_Shinichi-kun? Is Kusanagi-san with you?"_ Moka's voice asked.

"Huh? No he isn't. Why?" Shinichi answered.

"_Qiao-san can't find him. She's getting worried and asked for help," _the vampire said.

"Alright, I'll come over and help look for him," Shinichi nodded. "See you soon." He ended the call and turned to Fran, "Kusanagi-san's gone missing. Moka asked me to help find him."

"Alright, go on ahead then," Fran nodded, "Make sure to be back by dinner."

"Yeah, got it," Shinichi smiled before heading out the door. He got on his bike and put on his helmet before speeding off.

* * *

Usha lead Netto to a nearby cafe, where she both ordered tea for them. The ordered arrived quickly for them and they were both now seated down and were facing each other. Netto remembered what Saji had said about Usha, that she was a haughty girl who didn't think highly much of anyone. He wasn't sure what form interest she had with him, but he decided to play along and see just what exactly the gothic girl had in store for him. If it was anything malice, he would have to find to make a break out before things got too out of hand... or too embarrassing.

"So, Lilitu-sempai," Netto began as he took a small sip of his tea. "What business did you have with me?"

"I just simply gained an interest in you," Usha said, elegantly folding her hands together.

"An interest?" Netto blinked.

"Yes. Up until now, all the other boys in this school did not have what I was looking for in a man," Usha nodded, smiling eerily, "But you... there is something about you that attracts me like a moth to a flame."

"Like what?" Netto pressed on. He was starting get slightly unnerved by her. Her smile was suddenly getting very strange.

"I can't exactly say..." Usha said slowly, "Perhaps it is because of your scent..."

"My scent?"

"It's unlike anything I felt before," Usha said, "You're scent is so sweet. I knew I just had to have you for myself."

"Wait, wait?" Netto blinked. "But hold on a... minute... I already..." Something was wrong. He was getting light headed, and his vision became blurry. He rubbed his eyes, blinking weakly, idly wondering what was wrong. "Hey, sempai... you didn't say... you had twins..." And just like that, his head hit the table and he was out like a light.

Usha smiled creepily as she pulled out what appeared to be a packet of sugar. "The sedative worked quicker than expected. I will have to thank mother later."

"Ouja-san, is there something wrong with your friend?" a waitress asked worriedly as she walked over to them.

Usha stood up and walked over to Netto's side, "It is no trouble," she said, taking the boy into her arms bridal style, "I'm just going to take him home so he may rest."

"V-very well," the waitress nodded slowly, watching her leave with her cargo.

* * *

Moka leaned against a pole with her arms behind her back, waiting for Shinichi to arrive with Kurumu and Qiao. With them was Netto's most recent admirer Kiko. The four young women waited along the pathway for the boy when Moka spotted him coming down the road. She smiled and waved at him to get his attention. He came to a stop near the girls and kicked up the stand of his bike. "So, what happened to Kusanagi-san?"

"He didn't come back home and he isn't answering his cell phone," Qiao said worriedly. "Unless he's asleep, he always answers my calls. He'd _never _ignore me!"

"Hm, that is a problem... Can I have his number?" Shinichi asked.

"What for?" Kurumu asked as Qiao gave Shinichi Netto's phone number. He dialed it into his phone.

"Tracking app," he answered. His smartphone had a tracking app installed. Using a person's phone number, he could access the GPS to track a person's phone. He waited and the screen showed a map with a blinking dot, indicating Netto's position. "OK, I got a lock on him."

"So what's the plan?" Kiko asked.

"I know this place. It's a cafe. I'll go on ahead and search there. If there's anything else, let me know," he said as he tinkered with his phone. He got back on his bike and reassured Qiao, "I'll find him. Trust me." He then put on his helmet and sped off.

"Do you think he'll be able to find Netto?" Qiao asked Moka.

"If he says he will, he will," Moka assured faithfully. Shinichi had never let anyone down before. He wasn't about to start now.

* * *

'_Oh... damn it... what happened?'_

Those were among the few coherent thoughts that managed to come to Netto's mind as he wavered between consciousness and unconsciousness. His mind was hazy, still trying to collect the information of what happened prior. Last thing he remembered was meeting up with Qiao and Kiko, then he was having tea with Usha, and then... that was it. All he could feel now was the sensations drifting through him, from the exotic scent to the sensual caress of his hair and chest.

'_I guess Qiao managed to find me...' _he thought to himself tiredly. As his senses slowly returned, he took notice that he was resting on something soft and warm. _'I must be on her tails too. Ah, how embarrassing...'_

The scent... what was it? He sighed contentedly and breathed in the wonderful aroma surrounding him. The scent was alluring… disarming... captivating… Something seemed familiar about it but he couldn't quite place it… It was then he began to feel her voice, her desires. They were directed toward him and seemed to urge him into consciousness. He started get warmer, hot even as her voice echoed through his mind.

_I want you Netto Kusanagi.. I need you..._

_Be mine._

In his reaction to the warmth he felt around him now jointed to his hormones, his eyes opened to reveal him lying in a large, ornate bedroom. The room was low-lit and so he slowly took in his surroundings as his eyes adjusted to the light. He lay upon a bed as ornate as the room but instead of a pillow his head was laid on someone's warm lap. His face turned up to see that same someone was smiling down at him as she slowly stroked his hair and chest, her expression eager.

But it wasn't Qiao. It wasn't even Kiko.

"I've been waiting."

* * *

Shinichi arrived at the cafe and followed the signal on his app. "OK, he's close." He looked around but didn't see Netto. "OK, where is he." He continued to follow the signal to a table. There was nobody sitting at it. "Wait." He went down on his hands and knees and grimaced.

"Shit," Shinichi cursed as he found Netto's cell phone under the table. "Dead end." He then went up to a waiter, "Excuse me, have you seen this boy?" He showed the waiter a picture of Netto on his smartphone. He had gotten it from Qiao to help in the search.

"Oh, him. He was here with a sexy girl earlier. They left already," the waiter answered. "He fell unconscious for some reason and she carried him out."

Shinichi frowned slightly. He fell unconscious? That didn't sound good. "Which way did they go?"

"Sorry, can't help you there."

"It's OK. Thanks anyway." Shinichi stepped out of the cafe, scratching his head in frustration. "This would be so much easier if Kusanagi-san had some kind of tracking chip on him. Or if I knew magical tracking methods. What was it called? Scrying?" His phone rang and he checked the caller ID. It was from Qiao. "Hello, Xang-san."

"_And luck? Did you find him yet?" _the Chinese girl asked him.

No, I haven't found him. I found his phone. Don't worry, according to the waiter he was here not too long ago. He also told me he was with a girl."

"_A... girl?" _Kiko's voice frowned on the other end, _"You don't think it could be Lilitu, could it?"_

"Am I on speaker?" Shinichi asked then shook his head. "Nevermind. Well, she did show interest in him earlier and now he's gone missing. It might be just a coincidence but it's a lead worth checking. Where is she staying?"

"_We'll try one of the dorm houses,"_ Qiao said. _"Since it's almost evening you just standby outside and wait if anything happens."_

"Gotcha. Just gimme a call if you need help," Shinichi told them. "Oh, and if Kurumu-chan and Moka-san are with you, look after them for me."

"_No problem,"_ Qiao agreed, _"Oh, and Sanban-kun? Xièxiè."_

"We're friends, aren't we?" Shinichi smiled. "Ja ne." He put his phone away and got back on his bike. "Let's just hope we get there before Netto is ravaged to death." He muttered to himself, "You know, if Takeru was here, he'd probably make a "bow-chika-bow-wow' quip like usual."

* * *

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen Shinichi so happy," stated Fran. She was sitting on her couch, reading old notes with Okita in her lap.

"What do you mean?" Okita asked.

"Oh, you know how he was a bit socially awkward. It's a miracle he managed to make friends. Now he has two girls who care a lot about him and he doesn't even have to keep secrets from them," Fran explained.

"Rather liberating. He's never brought friends over until he met those girls," Okita nodded. "You think he might end up bringing more girls home?"

"From the way things are looking? It's very likely," Fran nodded, gaining a look of mock resolution as she made a fist pump, "And as a lover of love, it's my duty to help Shinichi gain girls who dearly love him."

"You're going through with that again, are you?" Okita sweatdropped.

"Love is a wonderful thing, Okita," Fran stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "It's something that everyone needs to hold dear."

"Yeah, and you always go into tears of joy whenever any of your customers want to go under the knife for love," Okita quipped, "It's a cycle."

"And now Shinichi has girls who care about him," Fran sighed. "Maybe they can help him where I couldn't. You've noticed it too, right? The faraway look he gets when he sees a happy family. He's always left wondering where he came from."

"You're his family," Okita reassured Fran. "You're like a big sister to him. Even if you sometimes like to tease and annoy him."

Fran giggled, "He just makes it so easy. But you're right. He's family and...I don't ever want to lose him."

* * *

As Netto's awareness returned, he noticed that he was garbed in only his unbuttoned white uniform shirt, exposing his flat and rather toned chest, and pants which had been loosened. '_What did she do?!'_ he realized with a start as he blushed. He jumped off the bed and stepped back several feet. He could see that Usha was in some sort of silky black teddy which fitted around her shapely body very nicely. Despite the current situation that he had been kidnapped, Netto's blush intensified.

"Wh... what's going on?" Netto exclaimed, finally finding his voice. He continued to step backward in order to find an exit, but the windows seemed to show no sign of opening... there wasn't even a street or much of anything else outside, as if the whole world had been cut off. "Where are we?"

Usha merely smiled at him, slowly rising from the bed and walking toward him, slowly, rhythmically swaying her hips in a way that Netto found hard not to notice, "Silly boy... you are here with me now. And no one will be able to reach us here." As she strutted towards him, her eyes flashed from violet to red as a purple and black energy suddenly surrounded her, engulfing her form in a bubble until there was only a silhouette. Her form seemed to take shape in the bubble, only slightly, but enough for something noticeable to appear out of her back. The bubble dispersed and it was clear that she wasn't human to begin with. Her skin was now as pale as that of a doll, with a red chakra jewel in the center of her forehead, pointed ears and long silky black hair that reached the small of her back with ornate gold horns like that of a ram and with a gold crown of sorts on her head with three red gem stones in the center. She also had a small bat tattoo just above her navel and three pairs of black demon wings with white claw spikes and a long thin black tail with a pronged serrated spade tip.

Netto couldn't keep his eyes off Usha's apparent true self. She was darkly beautiful, like an angel of death that's come to comfort a dying soul. "You're a... succubus?"

"Close, but not exactly. Though I'm surprised you know that we exist. Fortunately this means that I don't need to explain too much," Usha said. He didn't realize that she had just closed the distance between them until her breasts pressed up against his chest. "I am a lilim, a higher succubus. There aren't many of us left and as such we need mates in order to continue surviving. Be honored that I have chosen you as my Destined One."

"Destined One?" Netto repeated. "Mate?"

"I'm sure this is a lot to take in, but please don't struggle," Usha whispered seductively, slowly dipping her head towards his, "And it would be fruitless either way. As we speak, your will is dwindling and soon you will sucumb to me. No one can ever resist the allure of the lilim."

And she was right. She was emitting a pheromone that gave off some type of sweet scent. As the pheromone entered his nostrils, his will power is getting chipped further and further away. His was finding it difficult to summon his belt. Still he managed to push what ever willpower he had left and managed to push himself from Usha and back into a corner. "What a moment, I honestly do think you're a lovely girl, and I'd like to get to know you better. But can't we just talk this over with Qiao-chan and Kiko-chan?"

"No," Usha said bluntly. She snapped her fingers and as if reacting to her her command, a collection of tentacles formed around Netto and bounded his legs and arms tightly before directing him to Usha. She ran her hands across his chest and his stomach and slowly moved down to his pants. "I only want you and you alone. No one else matters," she inched to her face and left a wet lick on his cheek before moving down to his earlobe. As more of his will was drained away, Netto could only weak call out for help.

'_Get me out of here!'_

* * *

Qiao stood before the door with the rest of her female friends as Moka knocked on it. When no answer came, Moka tried a second time. "Hello? Lilitu-sempai?" she called through the door.

"She's not answering," Kiko frowned, "That's not good."

Qiao offered, "Allow me." She kicked up her feet high over head, and then with a shout, slammed her leg on the door, blasting it off its hinges. Once the door did get blasted opened, what they didn't find was a bedroom but instead a void of total blackness. "Wh... what the?!" Qiao gasped.

"Wait, stand back!" Kurumu said, walking carefully to the void. She looked closely and furrowed her eyebrows. "I know this... it's called Pandemonium."

"Pande-what now?" Kiko asked.

"It's a dimensional barrier," Kurumu said peering through the void, trying to find some kind of weak spot. "Unlike a normal barrier that acts as a shield, this type of barrier separates everything inside of it from the outside world by moving its contents into another dimension."

"I get. So it's magic that only succubi can use," Qiao realized. She noticed the shocked look from Moka and Kurumu's faces as she continued, "Oh relax you two, Kiko-chan and I are Youkai just like you. There's no need to be startled."

"Oh... you're both Youkai too?" Moka blinked, "That's a surprise..."

"Didn't think there were others like us in school," Kurumu added. Kiko cleared her throat and folded her arms, reminding them why they were here. "Right, right," Kurumu said, turning back to the void, "Anyway, you're right about this type of magic only usable for succubi, but only the stronger succubi can use it. I'm not at that level yet, but my mother taught me a few thing about it. I'm gonna try to remove it. Stay back." Kurumu rubbed her hands together and took a deep breath. This was the first time she was going to break a spell without her mother's guidance. Thus, she was slightly nervous. Still she began her work and entered her true form, the wings spreading out of her back and her tail appearing out of her skirt. Her eyes glowed brightly as the void suddenly began to shimmer and ripple. And slowly, but surely, the void cracked all over and shattered.

Kurumu gave out a heaving sigh as she collapsed on her knees, "I did it..." she panted.

"Kurumu-chan!" Moka suddenly cried out as she pushed the succubus down. Both girls fell down onto the floor in a rather suggestive position as a black spike flew right over them, impaling the unfortunate wall.

**(Insert song - Boss Battle - Red vs Blue)**

"Uh?" Kiko blinked as she watched the spike melt away, leaving the impact for all to see.

The aggressor, Usha, frowned as her eyes began to flare, "What are you doing here?" she demanded as she stepped out of her bed, "No one should've been able to break through my Pandemonium."

Kurumu looked up as Moka stood on her knees, straddling her hips, "What the..." Kurumu paled, shocked at the senor's true form, "She's a... she's a lilim!"

"Lilim?" Qiao asked, looking at her.

"I've heard of them! A lilim is a type of succubus that's said to be on par with vampires and demon lords!" Moka explained, standing back up with Kurumu. "They are among the most dangerous of Youkai!"

Usha blinked as she noticed Kurumu's ture from, "Oh dear. Kurono? So it was you who managed to break my Pandemonium? You must be stronger than I gave you credit for."

Qiao directed her eyes at Usha's large bed, and gasped. Strapped onto the bed, bound down by thick black tentacles was Netto, half dressed and apparently losing consciousness. Thankfully, his pants were still very much on his legs. But, looking at this, the implications were... "Wh... what were you trying to do?"

"You mean, Kusanagi?" Usha asked, turning her gaze at the bounded boy. "I simply decided to make him mine, that was all. Just think about it, small, malleable, lots of stamina and in an adorable package. Don't you think that would make a perfect Destined One for a lilim?"

"Maybe you're forgetting the fact you were trying to rape him!" Kiko shouted out.

Usha frowned deeper, "I didn't want to do that... but I just wanted to make him mine. In a school that's mostly of lowly humans and weaker monsters, finding a suitable mate is hard to come by. It was my duty to find a husband so that my clan would continue to live on, one way or another." In a flash of purple energy, the lilim was instantly clad in a different outfit. No longer in a scanty teddy, she was now dressed a black strapless and silky floor length evening dress with the skirt opened in the center to expose her long legs for easy movement, and dark stockings with a garter belt and black lace-up ankle boots with heels. Long black elbow length gloves covered her arms as well. A red magic circle with hellish symbols appeared before her and she immediately reached out into the circle. Grabbing something solid, she pulled out a weapon and spun around as some sort of hellish power scattered around her. She took a stance and held her weapon, which was a black scythe with a demonic skull at the base of the shaft and the blade.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you," Usha said, her voice turning cold and deadly. "I can't have anyone impede on my mission!" With startling speed, she dashed forward with dust kicking up from her feet and her scythe raised up to slash through them. Moka screamed out in terror as she covered her eyes, unwilling to do anything.

**CLANG!**

Moka slowly opened her eyes, releasing that she was still in piece. Looking at Kurumu and Kiko, she could see that they were also still very much alive, but they were also looking at something in surprise. Turning to their direction, she gasped at the sight she saw.

Standing before them was Qiao, with a thick, bushy golden tail appearing out of her backside and grinding against Usha's scythe with sparks flying about as if the tail had suddenly hardened like steel. Usha's eyes widened slightly at the unforeseen development.

"I see..." she acknowledged slowly, "So you are a kitsune."

"She's a kitsune?" Kurumu gasped blinking, "She's another S-Class monster! From this point of view, I'm not complaining."

"Yeah, I'm a kitsune. A huli jing to be technical," Qiao admitted, gritting her fangs as she struggled against Usha's scythe, "That's how I know about the rest of you girls being Youkai like me." With a yell she gave Usha a sharp shove, pushing her back a few meters. Qiao's tail whipped around before swishing back like a normal tail. Four other tails appeared out of her skirt as her hair and eyes turned gold and fox ears popped out of her hair. "If you wanna pick a fight with us, I'll take you on!" Qiao challenged as she stood on one leg and folded the other. She held her arms in a guard stance as she prepared to fight.

Usha gave no response as she rushed forward again to strike her down. Qiao sidestepped to the side and kicked the scythe away from her face. She continued the attack by kicking her in the midsection and driving her back. Usha backpedaled and snarled as she launched herself forward and sent a front scissor kick at Qiao. The foxgirl managed to hold her arms up in a block, but the kicks were stronger than she anticipated, knocking her against a wardrobe. The lilim gave a yell as she went for an overhead slash, aiming right for Qiao's head. Thinking quickly, Qiao wrapped her tails tightly on the wardrobe and maneuvered her legs up, catching the the blade with her feet just before the hit her head. Two of her tails unraveled from the wardrobe and punched Usha in the gut, causing her to grunt as she was knocked off balance.

Qiao dashed forward and threw a chain of swift punches, all of which Usha slipped away from. Seeing that she wasn't getting anywhere with that tactic, Qiao jumped up and landed on the top of the scythe and threw kicks at Usha's face. She swerved her head from side to side, easily evading the strikes before spinning her scythe and throwing the fox upward. As Qiao was sent spinning in surprise, Usha jumped up and back kicked her into a wall. She spun her weapon before tossing it like a boomerang, aimed right at Qiao. At the last minute, Qiao flipped over the scythe, causing the weapon to be latched onto the wall by the blade. Qiao landed and rushed at Usha, who made a motion with her fingers, causing the scythe to fly out of the wall and fly at Qiao. The fox, as if sceneing the weapon coming, jumped over it in a flip as continued to reach its wielder. Just as Usha retrieved her weapon, Qiao stretched her tails forward at a great length and shot them at Usha, grabbing the demon and smashing her through the ceiling, dust and debris falling down to the floor.

"You guys get Airen out of there!" Qiao instructed the others as her tails returned to their normal length. "I'll keep her busy!"

Kiko, stunned from all the fighting, nodded quickly, "Y-yeah." Seeing that done, Qiao looked up to the hole she made and jumped after Usha.

* * *

Shinichi arrived in front of the girls' dormitories and removed his helmet. He just hoped he wasn't too late. While he could acknowledge that Moka and Kurumu could take care of themselves, especially since they were accompanied by Kiko and Qiao, he couldn't help but feel worried about them. While they weren't the first friends he made in Ryoukai like Takeru and Saji, they were the first to know his secret, they were the first friends he ever brought home, and they were the first friends he had ever fought alongside of. He wished he could tell Takeru and Saji but he doubt they would understand his situation. They were normal and Shinichi didn't want to drag them into the abnormal side of his life. He was essentially living a double-life, hence the need for secrets.

Suddenly, Shinichi heard a boom and he looked up just see debris about to come crashing down on him. Immediately, he got out of the way as the debris dropped down around him.

"The hell? That can't be good," he uttered in bewilderment. His enhanced hearing picked up some noise and he immediately went for the stairwell, running up the steps while skipping a few so he could get there faster. He also mentally summoned his Battle Driver and had his transformation Battle Chip gripped in his hand, just in case he needed it. As he ran higher, the noise got closer and he picked up speed before stopping on the rooftop.

What he came across made his jaw drop in shock. It was Qiao, only now she had fox-like features and she was jumping across the rooftops after Usha who now looked like a succubus wielding a scythe. He muttered, "Am I meeting more and more Youkai ever since I met Moka-san? Is it just my luck?" Activating his Battle Driver, he decided to put a stop to this fight.

One would assume that Shinichi could only use his other Battle Chips while transformed. However, this was a misconception. He could still use the Battle Chips while he was in civilian mode as long as he had the Battle Driver active. The only draw back was that the Battle Chips' output would be weaker. Only when transformed was the full power of the Battle Chips could be used and some could only be used when he was transformed anyway.

Of course, his intervention would have to be provided that he could catch up to them. And they were moving fast. Making up his mind, he went for a running start to jump after them, when he got interrupted.

"Hey! You're not leaving without us, are you?"

"Hm?" Shinichi blinked, skidding to a stop. He turned back at the newcomer and smiled, "About time you showed up!"

* * *

The fight against the fox and the lilim burned onward as clashes echoed in the darkness, the light of the moon being the sole observer. Both girls had now taken to the air as they fought of the same boy they happened to like. Qiao, for her childhood friend, and Usha, for a worthy husband. There was a burst of power and a flash of light from a collision, causing the both of them to retreat as they gathered their tactics.

Usha panted as she as she gripped her scythe tightly. "Impressive," she praised begrudgingly, "I suppose it's to be expected from a fox demon to be able to keep up with me."

"What can I say? I'm just a genius when it comes to fighting," Qiao answered, not losing the tension in her body.

"Mm. It appears you are. However..." Usha flicked her scythe as her body started to glow in dark energy. In an instant, the air started to warp around her before slowly stopping all together. And in a flash of light, she vanished.

"Huh?!" Qiao gapped, looking around, "Where are you?" She got her answer when she spotted Usha flying towards her with her scythe armed. She narrowly managed to arch her back to avoid getting cut from the sharp blade as it went past her.

And then another Usha flew past her.

And another.

And another.

Four Ushas were flying around her, flanking her sides like deadly bees. "Clones? Illusions?" Qiao muttered to herself. "This can't be... gah!" she cried out in pain out the sudden sensation of a blade striking her back. She gritted her teeth as blood poured out of the wound. Another Usha came at her, and she quick maneuvered herself backwards. The blade did manage to nick her cheek, causing a small cut to spill out. Qiao hissed at the sting as she held her face, "No, that was too real to be an illusion. In that case..." looking up, she could see the four Ushas dive bombing toward her with the scythes bared. Crossing her arms together, Qiao let out a shout as a burst of blinding light shined out from her. The Ushas were all caught off guard from the flare and shielded their eyes from the light, which bought enough time for a blur of motion to intercept and eliminate each one of the copies swiftly, causing them to vanish in black smoke. By the time, the real Usha could register what was happening, she could only see a leg drop down at her face, sending her falling down to a rooftop as she screamed into the night. There was a loud thud, and smoke picked up from the impact. Usha picked herself, using her scythe as support and coughing as some of the dirt went into her lungs.

**(End song)**

"You knew that I was more than happy to let my Arian have multiple girlfriends!" As the dust settled, she could see Qiao standing on the other side of the roof. "So why kidnap him against his will?"

"You don't understand!" Usha shouted at her, "I need a husband in order for my race to live on! Just like the succubi and incubi, the lilim are dieing out! We need hires to defend ourselves from our predators!"

"Predators?"

"Have you heard of demon slayers?" Usha asked rhetorically. "They are humans with abilities equal to Youkai, and use those abilities to hunt us down for the mere act of existing. There are only hundreds of succubi remaining because of them. All we want is to live in peace, and the deny us that right simply because of what we are." She retook her stance as a crimson aura formed around her, "Netto Kusanagi is the one that I've been waiting for so long, and I shall not let this window of opportunity close. He will be my mate, like it or not!"

Qiao frowned grimly, "Believe me when I say I want to help you, I really do..." a golden aura flared around her as she also took a stance, "But if that's the way you want it...!"

**CRASH!**

A sudden explosion shook the center of the roof between the girls, interrupting their fight as their auras died out. Peering into the dust as it died out, they could see something walking out, snarling and growling. It was a hideous, humanoid creature, walking on all fours and was as large as a small car. It had yellow skin and flowing dreadlocks that moved about on its own. The claws on its hands and feet looked sharp enough to cut through almost anything, and its body like very skinny, yet at the same time, muscular. The face, if it could be call that, had a set of ten malicious red eyes and tentacles that flayed behind several sharp teeth. In short, this was one ugly monster that was before them.

"Huh?" Qiao gasped at the sight of the new challenger. "What is that thing?!"

"A boogeyman," was Usha's answer. Qiao turned her attention to her as the older girl frowned. "Monsters with no fixed form that tend to stalk human children. Their only true power is the ability to manipulate dreams, but in the real world they are but weak cowards." She spun her scythe over her head and pointed it at the bogeyman. "This will be quick."

With a single stroke of her blade, Usha fired an arc of crimson demonic energy towards the bogeyman. The blade enlarged and expanded as it flew, looking dangerously sharp. Just before it managed to even touch the large ugly best, it lifted its hand. The arc hit and vanished quickly, as if nothing happened. Usha gasped with wide eyes, shocked at such a development.

"It blocked it?" Qiao frowned as she formed a ball of light in her hands and throwing it at the monster. Again, the boogeyman rose its hand and the ball bounced harmlessly away. The foxgirl grimaced at what was happening. "Hey, what's going on? I thought you said boogeymen were weak in the real world!" Qiao demanded.

"They are! But this one is completely unnatural!" Usha exclaimed. Seeing them off guard, the boogeyman opened its mouth and breathed out a large green blast and sweeped it at each of the girls. It came so quickly and without warning, they were unable to avoid as the blast engulfed them in a green smoke. As it all cleared, the girls could see that they were wrapped up in some sort of green goop.

"Ugh! Yuck!" Qiao shouted in disgust as she struggled against the strange goop. She was using all the force she could muster and was even resorting to her solar powers to zap at the goop, but it was for naught as it seemed to be nigh unbreakable. Usha was having the same trouble as she couldn't even lift her scythe. She gritted her teeth as she scuffled with her prison, trying to find some kind of way out.

"It's useless to struggle." The girls looked up at the sudden sound of a voice. Standing before them with his hands behind his back, was the Man in Black. Usha's brows furrowed, how did he get there without them noticing? The boogeyman wasn't even attacking him, as if it was waiting for something."The slime is made up of a very thick substance that only becomes stronger as you fight it. Rather useful for containing Youkai, wouldn't you agree?"

"Who are you?" Usha glared venomously, "Are you... a slayer?"

"No, I am not. I am a scientist," he said, bowing in a gentlemanly manner. "And this Freak..." he continued, gesturing at the monster behind him. "Is but one of my many experiments."

"Freak?" Qiao asked. She frowned as she quickly realized what he was talking about. "I get it. You're the reason why the humans here are turning into monsters! You're the one giving out those chips!"

"So you know of my work?" the Man in Black asked, raising an eyebrow. "Good. I don't have to go into explanations then. However... I wasn't going to allow any of you to leave here either. Having people finding out about us is so... troublesome." He held out two black chips between his fingers as he slowly walked towards the girls. "I managed to make excellent progress in converting the boogeyman here into a Freak, and a Level 3 at that... I do wonder what would happen if you use these on a fox and a succubus?"

"Don't you dare!" Qiao shrieked, struggling harder.

The Man in Black ignored her and carelessly threw the chips at them. The wires stretched and prepared to latch on to them. Qiao shut her eyes as Usha snarled, angry that she was put into such a helpless position.

**ZING!**

Although they would've been turned to Freaks by now if not for an electric blade cutting through and intercepting the chips, destroying them completely. Qiao dared to open one of her eyes at where the sound came from, then smiled as she saw who came to their rescue "Airen, you're alright!"

Netto dashed across the roof, welding his Photon Debugger, and skid to a stop as he reached the bounded women. His hand shimmered in green digital code before he placed it on to the goop. It fizzled like static before it shattered like light. Finally free, Qiao stretched out her arms and tails. "Sorry I took so long," he smiled at her. He went over to where Usha was held and placed his hand on the goop. Like Qiao's prison, it fizzled like static and shattered in a flash of light.

Usha dusted herself of what was left of the gunk before looking at Netto, "You saved me... after what I tried to do?"

"I'll admit that hate what you tried to do," Netto admitted, closing his eyes in a nod, "But I managed to hear what you said from Kiko. You were trying to save your race, right?"

"So... you understand me?" Usha asked slowly.

"In a way, I think I do," Netto answered back.

The Man in Black glared at the interference. Realizing that the situation was not in his favor, he turned to leave, only to face the rest of the teenagers. Standing in front of the newly arrived group, which consisted of Kiko, Moka and Kurumu, was Shinichi.

"OK, whoever you are, you're not going anywhere!" Shinichi pointed at the Man in Black.

The Man in Black spoke creepily, "My boy... is that anyway to speak to your _father_?"

Shinichi suddenly faltered, not expecting _that_. "Wha-what?" A sudden sharp pain went through his head, causing him to cry out as he clenched it in pain.

**(Insert song - The Twelve Divine Generals - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor)**

"Shinichi-kun? What's wrong?" Moka asked, worried.

"#13, did you think it would be that easy? Did you think you could hide... from us?" The Man in Black shook his head slowly, "No... I think not."

"Who...who are you?" Shinichi groaned out his question.

"Don't you remember? I was there when you breathed for the first time in your new life," the Man in Black continued. "Or have you really forgotten? That's very rude. Very ungrateful."

"Shinichi, do you know this guy?" Kurumu questioned, getting creeped out by the man before them. Shinichi began to feel a sense of nausea as he tried to get his thoughts together.

"I...I..." Things started to get very confusing around him as images flashed through his head. He saw a lab. A lab filled with people in white coats and scrubs, looking down at him as if he were on some sort of operating table. They were poking at him with some sort of instruments. He saw what he believed to be were schematics. He saw soldiers screaming in agony as they were being ripped apart by an unknown force. He saw twelve other kids in armor like his, each one different from the last. And he saw a facility with dead men, the walls smeared with their blood. "Wha... what's going on?!" he growled in a strained voice as he buckled on his legs.

"Shinichi-kun!" cried out Moka.

"What's happening to him?" Kiko gasped.

"You..." All of a sudden, Shinichi's expression changed into one filled with utmost hate as his eyes glowed red and his hair spiked up on its own. With a roar of fury and rage, he dashed towards the Man in Black. "YOU!" His sleeves tore open as, much to his friends' shock, sharp pincers grew out of the sides of his forearms.

The Man in Black suddenly flashed a smirk. "So you remember after all," he smiled as he whipped out a remote, and pressed a button. A wave of transparent energy pulsed from the remote and around Shinichi. Automatically, Shinichi dropped to his knees and cried out in pain as he clenched his head. "EMPs are marvelous, aren't they?" spoke the Man in Black mockingly. "They are the perfect tools to discipline wayward cyborgs." Moka could only watch in horror as Shinichi continued to scream, then her eyes narrowed at the Man in Black. That remote of his was hurting Shinichi somehow. Determined, she ran at the Man in Black. The Boogeyman Freak chose to act at that moment and ran into her path, blocking her. She tried to make a break to the sides, but the Boogeyman Freak sidestepped in her path each time

Kurumu saw what Moka was doing and released her wings. She took to the air and aimed at the Man in Black to stop him from hurting Shinichi. However, he was not unprepared as she took out a stun gun and aimed it at Kurumu. A dart fired from the gun and hit Kurumu in the shoulder. The dart was connected to the gun by a wire and once the dart had hit lightning blazed out and engulfed her. Kurumu screamed in pain as the electricity coursed through her body.

The sound of Kurumu's screams shocked Shinichi and he watched her collapse in a heap. His rage rose as he forced himself back to his feet, ignoring the pain. The pincers on his right arm hummed and crackled with energy. "YOU BASTARD!" He shakily raised his arm and fired a plasma orb at the Man in Black, only to miss as it flew right past him.

"You need to work on your aim," the Man in Black taunted.

Kiko, who was stunned from the events happening, decided to act as she positioned her arms as she were holding an bow weapon. A flash of light appeared, and in her hands was a glowing, violet bow with an arrow ready to fire. As she pushed more tension into the arrow, Netto, Qiao and Usha also prepared to act as the shook themselves out of the series of events. Nodding at one another, the two girls held out their hands and Netto took them. He swung them around before throwing the girls at the Man in Black's back, feet first. The Man in Black turned around too late as her feet knocked onto his chest and shoved him backwards as they flipped through the air before landing gracefully on their feet. The remote and stun gun went flying into the air before coming back down, and Usha spun her scythe before slicing the remote and gun in two. The now worthless devices crumbled onto the pavement, wires and sparks flying outward. At the same time, Kiko shot an arrow of light at the Boogeyman Freak. It flew through the air and went past Moka's shoulder before hitting it square between the eyes. Blood oozed out from the blow and the Freak roared in anger and pain, jumping about as Moka scrambled to get away.

**(End song)**

The Man in Black frowned as he rubbed his chest, "Damn," he cursed as he watched Shinichi regain his footing. Kurumu slowly glided back to the roof and landed on her knees, slightly weak from the electrocution. Blood was dripping from Shinichi's nose due to the EMP exposure.

"You're gonna pay for that," Shinichi swore. The Man in Black considered his options and then addressed the Boogeyman Freak.

"Boogeyman Freak, take care of them!" he ordered before running to the edge of the building and jumping right off. Seeing that Shinichi was about to give chase, the Boogeyman Freak tore out the arrow from its head and slammed its hands before him and caused a tremor. Shinichi momentarily lost his balance but recovered quickly. He then glanced at his pincers as they hummed and aimed them at the Freak.

"Take this!" he fired two charged plasma orbs that hit the Boogeyman Freak with explosive force. The hit blasted the Freak several meters through the air and onto the back, causing it to land with a thud. The attack was able to do damage but not enough as the Boogeyman Freak rose back up and roared. "Looks like you're tougher than you look. Guess I have no choice." Netto, Kiko, Qiao and Usha would witness his transformation but now wasn't the time to worry about such things. Shinichi took out his Transformation Chip and slid it into his Battle Driver.

"**Stand By! OK?"**

"Hen...shin!"

"**Change OK!"**

A cocoon of light enveloped Shinichi. The Boogeyman Freak attempted to attack and lunged at the cocoon only to be violently repelled as it erupted, revealing Shinichi in his Dusk armor.

"**Complete: Dusk!"**

Dusk flicked his wrists and then saw that his pincers were gone. "No matter." He slid in another Battle Chip.

"**Pincer On! OK!"**

His shoulder armor detached and combined to form the Pincer Claw on his left hand. He clicked the Pincer Claw and got ready to fight.

Netto, seeing Dusk's full form, sighed as he shrugged, "Well, I was gonna tell him sooner or later." His Cyber Reactor appeared around his waist, pulsing with pure energy as he took a stance, "Henshin!"

"**Digitizing!"**

Netto separated into blocks before he reformed into the armored form of Mega. His insectoid eyes flashed as he spun his sword around, ready to fight.

Moka, Kurumu and Usha gasped in surprise at Netto's transformation but Qiao and Kiko smiled. Dusk blinked and realised that Netto was the one who had helped him back at the mall. "Guess we're going to be talking about this later, huh?" Dusk questioned Mega.

"Yeah, but we need to take care of this thing first," answered Mega.

The Boogeyman Freak sneered at both armored teens, "_**Do you both truly believe you can defeat me? I am your worst nightmare! Children cower in their beds because of me! I am the BOOGEYMAN!**_"

"You're going to brag about scaring kids?" scoffed Dusk. "That's really pathetic." Moka and Kurumu stepped forward, "Girls?"

"I'm OK," said Kurumu confidently. She may have just been electrocuted but she could still fight. Moka gently grasped Dusk's right hand and put his fingers around her rosary seal.

"And I want to fight with you," Moka said resolutely as she made Shinichi tug off her seal. Moka's vampiric energy flooded the area as the sweet girl took on a more sensual and deadly appearance.

**(Insert song - Theme of Guyver - Guyver: The Bioboosted Armor)**

Fully awakened, Inner Moka opened her red eyes and stretched, "It's been far too long since I've been allowed to play." She addressed Dusk, "Hello again, Dusk."

"Nice to see you too," Dusk nodded. "Glad to have you join the fun."

"Hey now, don't leave you're sempai out of this," Kiko smirked. She snapped her fingers and did a twirl, causing a wave a magical energy to envelope her. As she came to a stop, Kiko's body looked very different. Her hair was blue and her ears were long and pointed. Her eyes were now yellow and her skin was in a purple shade. She seemed to have become slightly taller now too.

Inner Moka looked at the sempai, her eyes trailing up and down her body, "So... you're a night elf," she commented.

"Yeah," Kiko nodded, looking back at her. "What of it?"

"Nothing. Just haven't seen an elf up close before," the vampire replied, shrugging.

"How about we finish this up first and then sit down for tea and biscuits?" Dusk suggested. The girls and Mega nodded before turning their attention towards the Boogeyman Freak. "Ikuze...!" Dusk dashed towards the Freak and opened up his Pincer Claw. Within the weapon, an orb of light glowed before a beam burst out. The Boogeyman Freak managed to dodge in time but Kurumu swooped down and slashed him across the face. The Boogeyman Freak screamed in agony before glaring at the succubus. The dreadlocks stretched out into tentacles and shot towards Kurumu, but she managed to loop out of the way and avoid capture. As it was trying to knock her out of the way, it failed to notice Inner Moka charging at him and leaping forward.

"KNOW YOUR PLACE!" Inner Moka screamed as she launched a kick at the Boogeyman Freak's head, sending him tumbling with great force.

"Nice kick!" Dusk praised. "Now, to try something new." He produced a Battle Chip and slotted it into his Battle Driver.

"**Lance On! OK!" **

A spiral lance appeared in his hand. This was the main weapon of the Centaur Freak. Rather than using it himself though, he had a better idea of who could use it.

"Kirishima-sempai, catch!" He tossed the lance to the night elf who snatched it out of the air. She smiled at the weapon then nodded a thanks to Dusk before joining the battle with her new weapon. A purple Magic Circle appeared below her feet before it vanished into her shoes, the soles of her feet glowing brightly as a result. The magic propelled her forward towards the Boogeyman Freak, as if she was gliding over the ice. She swerved around the Freak before slashing the lance across it several times, sparks spilling out with each blow. Her attacks were quick and graceful, like that of a ballerina. She reared the lance back, taking a stance that resembled fencing, as it spun around and glowed with a dark violet energy.

"Suck it!" she shouted, as she stabbed the weapon forward into the shoulder. The lance actually impaled the Boogeyman Freak, and in response it roared out as blood spilled out of the shoulder. The Freak managed to gain second wind as it stretched the dreadlocks out again and manipulated them into punching Kiko in the chest. Air escaped from her lungs in a cough as she was sent through the air, but Qiao fortunately managed to grab her safely with her tails before setting her down. As she did, Usha ran past them and somersaulted forward as she evaded the on coming dreadlocks. She rolled underneath another one before swinging her scythe around her, parrying each hit that the dreadlocks dished out. She stabbed the base of her weapon into the eyes, temporarily blinding it as she stretched her wings and glided backwards. Instinctively, it fired a large green energy blast from the mouth. She quickly countered by pointing two fingers forward and shooting a ball of crimson energy from them. The two blasts collided in the center, resulting in a loud explosion.

"Guess I should try another new one," Dusk said out loud as he inserted another Battle Chip.

"**Blaster On! OK!"**

Parts of a miniature cannon appeared around Dusk's right arm. Like clockwork, the pieces snapped on one by one, quickly looking like an actual arm cannon. He aimed both the Blaster Cannon and Pincer Claw, firing continuous beams at the Boogeyman Freak to push it back. Qiao joined in on the assault by charging up solar energy in her hands before shooting a beam of concentrated light at the target. The trio of energy blasts pushed the Freak back farther, but it refused to go down in a fight.

"_**You damn fools! You think you can overpower me?!"**_ it shouted in fury as it struggled forward in slow steps, slowly pushing the beams back.

"We're currently kicking your ass so you tell us!" Kurumu shot back smugly. "And to prove our point..." her eyes glowed red as a mist engulfed to battlefield. The Boogeyman Freak found itself alone and in the center of a dense fog. It turned left and right as it tried to find anyway out, but to no avail.

"_**Of course, succubi can cast illusions even in the real world..."**_ the Boogeyman Freak growled in anger. A silhouette sudden jumped through the fog and slashed at the Boogeyman Freak's face. It stumbled backwards and growled at the attacker. It was none other than Mega, with his Photon Debugger bearing. He dashed forward, leaping over the flying dreadlocks, and landed onto its back. He stabbed the sword at the back of the neck and dug in deeply, causing the monster to roar in pain again. It bucked in a jumped about wildly, trying to bump him off like a bull in the rodeo. Mega refused to budge. Inner Moka appeared out of the fog before the Freak, slamming her feet at its face in a drop kick. Mega jumped off just before it went flying. Kiko appeared behind it, holding a glowing hammer as she got ready to swing. As the Freak was within her reach, she gave a loud grunt as she slammed the weapon onto the beast, sending it spiraling before it fell into a heap. The fog quickly vanished, returning to field vision to the streets and buildings around them.

"Alright, Chip Break time!" Dusk concluded as he dismissed the Blaster Cannon and inserted another chip into his belt.

"**Drill On! OK!"**

The Pincer Claw started to rotate and Dusk punched his left arm forward, "OI-RYAH!" The spinning Pincer Claw launcher from his fist and flew at the Freak, hitting it dead center in the chest and propelling it into the air.

"Mine!" Mega claimed as he tapped on the core of his belt.

"**Final Download!" **

He performed front-flips towards the falling Freak before somersaulting into the air. As he spun about upward, his boot shone with digital energy. Gravity took hold of him and he stuck out his lethal boot in the form of an axe kick, the energy streaking like a comet as he fell. "TERIAAAAAA!" The boot struck the Boogeyman Freak right on the back, sending it falling down to the battlefield. The moment it hit, there was a massive explosion, much brighter than the other Freaks that came before it. Dusk and the girls were forced to shield their eyes from the heat and brightness before it all finally managed to die down. Mega landed next to them in a crouch and slowly stood back up.

**(End song)**

A Battle Chip rose from the fallen Freak's body as he reverted to his human form and then it flew into Mega's hand. "That's another one down," Mega smiled.

"By the Dragon God, Ophis! Look!" Kiko gasped as she pointed. They then in sudden shock and some in slight horror watched as the Freak Chip's user's body slowly begin to disintegrate, turning into dust and leaving only clothes behind. "What happened?"

"The Freak Chip must've fully integrated into his body. It was the only thing keeping him alive. When we forced it out, his body couldn't hold itself together," Dusk analyzed, his voice saddened and stunned.

"Bound to happen sooner or later, I guess," Inner Moka frowned. "How poetic- in exchange for more power, he sold his soul to the devil. Such a fitting, yet ironic end."

"Which makes it doubly more important that we stop this from spreading for good," urged Dusk as he cancelled his transformation.

Kiko inched slightly closer to Shinichi, her eyes trailing him up and down, "Sanban-kun, what are you exactly?" she asked curiously.

Shinichi answered with a strained smile and eyes closed, "Sometimes I wonder that myself." He then examined his forearms. He had never deployed those pincers before but using them had felt so natural. Like it was instinctive. He then looked up to Netto, "Kusanagi-san, so you're Mega."

"Yeah," Netto admitted then he tossed the new Battle Chip to Shinichi. Shinichi caught it. "Take it. I sure as hell can't use it." He added, "You might also want to get your sleeves fixed."

Shinichi examined his torn sleeves, "I don't think there's anything I can do to fix this."

* * *

With the battle done with, the group of friends went back to the streets, and were currently on the way to meet with Shinichi's guardian to consult what happened. Moka and the other girls had returned to their human forms beforehand, and now she was walking hand in hand with Shinichi while Kurumu was clinging to his arm. Netto in the meantime had Qiao and Kiko on both sides of his arms and Usha, the newest addition to his harem, attached to his back with her arms wrapped around his waist and her head resting against his shoulder.

"What was that guy doing to you, Shinichi?" Kurumu asked, referring to when the Man in Black had used the remote to hurt her Destined One.

"I told you that I've got cybernetic implants. That thing was an EMP emitter so my cybernetic side reacted violently," he explained. "EMPs are one of the things that electronics are weak against. If hit, they'll short out or even die. So you know, I have to avoid EMPs like Moka-san has to avoid water." Moka had explained to him where the myth of vampires being unable to cross running water came from. He had asked about Holy Water and she told him there wasn't much of a difference as far as she was concerned.

"E-M-P?" Moka asked, looking confused. "Doesn't that spell 'emp'?"

Shinichi frowned, "It's spelled that way but pronounced EMP."

"That doesn't make any sense," Usha protested, "That clearly spells 'emp'."

"No, no, no," Shinichi shook his head, "EMP stands for 'electromagnetic pulse'. Its an acronym."

"So is laser. It stands for 'light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation', but you don't hear people say L-A-S-E-R all the time," Kiko smirked teasingly.

"Emp just sounds stupid!" Shinichi squeezed the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Are we seriously having this conversation right now?"

"Yeah, yeah," Netto said quickly, changing the subject. "So anyway, you have any idea about who he might be? It seems like you remembered him earlier. You acted like you hated him and wanted to tear him apart." That anger and hatred came from someone who knew the target. It seemed like Shinichi shared a history with the Man in Blank only he didn't remember it.

Shinichi was about to answer when he heard his phone ring and picked it up. "Oh, it's from Fran-san." He then held it to his ear. "Hello? Oh, sorry I'm late. Was busy helping a friend. Another Freak? Yeah, we took care of it. Sorry for not getting you a body. Anyway, this time the body disintegrated after we beat it. Do you have any idea why? Right, I'll come right back. By the way, I've remembered a bit of what happened to me. Do you know if the name 'Frankenstein' is real?"

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: The chapter took longer than expected, likely because of the fact that I have school now and I need to focus on my studies. But anyway, heres another one for anyone that's reading this. And Usha is a character owned by GuyverGenesis, so thanks man!**


	7. The Thing in the Mountain

It was another beautiful day in the city. Summer was just around the corner as the air became nice and mild. The cicadas were chirping, the birds were singing, and the squirrels were out and about playing. The bees were buzzing about, gathering nectar to store in their hives. As the weather had turned warm, students of Ryoukai had switched to their summer uniforms. It wasn't much of a chance. The blazers were discarded and their long-sleeved blouses were exchanged for the short sleeved version. Neckties became optional and some boys resorted to wearing the blouses over t-shirts. However, while the classrooms were filled with glee at the thought of summer vacation coming, there was one room in particular that was filled with gloom and fright.

"No... NO... _NNOOO!"_ Biteru-sensei shrieked at the phone. The lights flickered on and off at her rage continued to rise. The voice on the other end of the phone answered back as she clenched it angrily, her face frowning further as she did. Whatever the person was saying to her, she didn't like it at all. "You'll pay for this one!" she swore before slamming the phone on her desk. It immediately bursted into flames and ghosts flew out as it retracted into the desk and disappeared. Then she addressed her students, "Class! Despite my moral outrage, the school headmaster is allowing you to go on your ski field trip."

The cheers from the students was almost deafening. It was a cacophony of happiness. A ski trip! That meant fun in the snow, skiing and getting away from the hot weather.

Moka turned to smile at Shinichi, "Did you hear? We're going on a ski trip!"

"I did," Shinichi smiled back. "Have you gone skiing before, Moka-san?"

"Not really. What about you?" Moka then gasped, remembering that he had amnesia. She apologized quickly, "Sorry! I forgot!" Shinichi waved off her concern.

"Relax, relax. I may not have skied on real snow but the arcade had a skiing simulator," he told her. "I'm sure it'll be no different." He turned to Netto. "How about you, Netto? You excited?"

Several weeks had passed since Netto and Qiao had joined their class. The two new students had also ended up becoming part of Shinichi's circle of friends. "Skiing's OK," Netto agreed before he added, "But it doesn't beat snowboarding."

"Snowboarding gives you a lot more freedom that skiing," Qiao agreed as she leaned on her arms, "Your feet aren't restricted to two boards for one thing, and you can perform more stunts on snowboards too."

"I wouldn't mind trying that," Shinichi said.

"And the best thing about ski trips are the ski bunnies!" declared Takeru. Girls in tight yet insulated clothing perfect for skiing yet still allowing them to show off their curves. "Sweet."

"It can also be romantic," Kurumu purred. She actually imagined herself and Shinchi, sitting by a lit fireplace, enjoying cups of hot cocoa. Her mother had told her that when men felt cold they would go to the nearest warm body for comfort. This was her chance to seduce him.

"Don't forget that we need to be disciplined. We'll be going to a mountain resort and things can get pretty dangerous," said Saji responsibly.

"Come on, Iinchou. It's just a ski trip," Takeru countered.

"One wrong step and you could end up with broken bones!" warned Saji. "If you ain't careful, you could spend the rest of the trip with broken legs and arms!"

"Seriously, Iinchou, must you really think of the worst case scenarios?" Shinichi questioned in annoyance. "It's supposed to be fun!"

"Hehe, just messing with ya," Saji chuckled. "Of course we'll have fun. Just remember to be careful."

Shinichi smiled. This would be his first time out of the city. However, he was still worried. What if a Freak attacked while he was out of town. Could he leave the city unguarded like that? Then he realized that he could use his booster pack to fly back to the city. All he had to do was wait for a phone call from Fran.

Speaking of Fran, a few weeks ago, right after the incident involving the Boogeyman Freak, not to mention when Usha had tried to rape Netto, as well as Shinichi's discovery of Netto's secret identity of Mega, the gang had gone to Fran's mansion to talk.

* * *

"_Why would your guardian want to meet us, Sanban-san?" Qiao asked as they stood in front of the Madaraki Mansion._

"_Well, there's a few things we need to talk about," he answered. "Plus when I mentioned the name 'Frankenstein', she kinda froze up on the phone. I need to know why." He then warned them, "Oh, and please don't stare at Fran-san. She has an unusual appearance but that's no reason to look at her like something on display." Those who had not met Shinichi's guardian were confused._

"_Beg your pardon?" Kiko asked, blinking._

"_You'll see what I mean," Shinichi answered cryptically. He rang the doorbell and spoke into the intercom, "It's me. I'm home. I've brought friends."_

_Shinichi and her friends were let inside, greeted by Howl the Butler. Netto and Qiao nearly recoiled at the sight, while Kiko's eyes widened slightly at the butler with a dog's head. Only Usha had no such reaction, being used to strange things and people due to where she was from._

"_Welcome home, Shinichi," Howl welcomed. "I'll have tea prepared for you and your friends."_

"_Thanks, Howl-san," Shinichi smiled. "Everyone, this is Howl-san. He's the butler who helps out around the house." He then asked, "Is Fran-san busy?"_

"_Fran-sama is with Adorea-san in the lab," Howl answered._

_Moka blinked, "Who's Adorea?"_

"_Adorea-san is Fran-san's lab partner. She lives with us but she's shy so she doesn't come out of the lab to meet new people," Shinichi answered. He remembered how long it had taken for Adorea to speak with him. _

"_So she's one of those quiet types," Kurumu guessed. _

"_You can say that. She rarely speaks and often lets her actions do the talking," he told her._

_Qiao felt something rub against her leg and saw a cat. "Oh, you have a cat." She picked it up and gaped at the face staring back._

"_Yo," Okita greeted, raising a paw. _

"_KYAA!" Qiao screamed and dropped Okita before hugging Netto. Kiko and Usha all gasped once they saw the man-headed cat._

"_The hell!?" Netto exclaimed at the sight of Okita. "What is that!?"_

"_That's Okita," Shinichi answered. _

"_Don't say it like it's normal!" Netto shot back._

"_Normal is relative," Shinichi shrugged. "Sides, if you're talking about normal from humanity's point of view, you should realize that those standards don't apply to any of us here."_

"_So, I'm guessing that you have something to tell Fran, right?" Okita asked._

"_We had an interesting encounter and made a new friend," Shinichi answered._

"_Ah, I see," Okita nodded. "I'll go get her then."_

* * *

"_Oh, I'm so happy that Shinichi is bringing so many new friends!" greeted Fran excitedly as she entered the living room. Either she didn't notice the blood stains on her coat or didn't care. "Welcome! Welcome!"_

"_Fran-san, your eyes are about to pop out," Shinichi reminded. "They'll fall out again."_

"_Oh, sorry," Fran apologized as she pushed her eyeballs back into the sockets._

"_You know, this explains a lot," remarked Kiko. She turned to Shinichi, "No wonder you aren't fazed by Youkai."_

"_Living with Fran-san makes a person pretty open-minded," Shinichi shrugged. _

"_So, Iinchou and Saotome-san don't know?" Netto asked._

"_This place would just scare them away. They're my friends but I don't want to expose them too much to the abnormal side of my life," Shinichi answered as he calmly sipped his tea. Netto noted the hint of sadness. Shinichi was living a double-life. He was only fortunate he had found friends he could share this with._

"_So I'm guessing that you are the new Mega character that Shinichi has told me so much about, yes?" Fran asked Netto._

"_How did you know...?" Netto asked._

"_Well, you're the only other boy here so I thought it was obvious," Fran shrugged. _

"_Don't try to argue with Fran-san's logic. She has a sharp mind," Shinichi informed Netto._

"_That's so sweet of you to say, Shinichi!" beamed Fran with a blush._

"_Anyway, Kusanagi-san has been fighting the Freaks too," Shinichi started to explain. _

"_Yes, so I've heard," nodded Fran. "So, Kusanagi-san, how did you end up getting dragged into all this? Also, how did you get your own armor?"_

"_My armor?" Netto blinked as he scratched his head, "Come to think of it... I have no idea."_

_Shinichi blinked. He hadn't expected that answer. 'Just like me...'_

"_You don't know?" Kiko blinked, gasping as she covered her mouth, "How awful..."_

"_Well, Shinichi's the same way. He doesn't remember how he got his armor either" mentioned Fran._

"_Actually, I might have a clue," Shinichi retorted._

"_Yes, Frankenstein..." frowned Fran. "I suppose that you already know that my current appearance came from the creature based on Mary Shelley's novel, so I was slightly shaken up by the word. However, you should also know this. Mary Shelley's work... was based on the real thing."_

"_The real thing?" Usha asked._

"_Are you saying the novel was based on actual events?" Moka asked incredulously._

"_Sometimes, what we believe is fiction, are actually documentations that are so unbelievable that people cannot accept them as fact," Fran told them seriously. "Myths and legends are example of that. People believe beings like Youkai are myths and yet here you are, sitting in my living room. So, it's not too much of a stretch for a story like Frankenstein's to be based on truth. You know the old saying, truth is stranger than fiction."_

"_That's interesting, but what does that have to do with Shinichi's armor?" Kurumu questioned._

"_I'm saying that the one responsible for Shinichi's cybernetics may very well be the descendant of the original Dr. Frankenstein," Fran answered grimly._

"_And he must be the one behind the Freak Chips too," Shinichi assumed._

"_Possibly," she nodded. "And it looks like he's working for someone. Question is, who is his boss?" __Realization slowly sank in. The teens had just stumbled into a huge conspiracy, and one that could affect the world if they aren't careful. However, Shinichi wanted answers. Why had Frankenstein made him into a cyborg? What had happened to his memories? And why was he creating Freak Chips and turning people into monstrous Freaks?_

"_Whatever he has planned will have to wait for now, as we don't have enough information and can't just make assumptions.__ Anyway Kusanagi-san," smiled Fran as she looked Netto over. "Since you're a cyborg too, would you mind if I took a look inside you and see what makes you tick?"_

_Netto blinked, "I'm sorry?"_

_Fran's eyes sparkled, "I just want to see what your insides look like. It's for scientific research. Please say yes. I promise that you won't feel a thing." She was already twirling scalpels in her hands. When did she manage to get those in such a short amount of time?_

"_What? Hey!" Qiao protested as fox ears popped out of her head, "You can't just do that!"_

"_Don't just say that to people like it's nothing!" Kiko added, bringing Netto's head to her chest in a hug._

"_Try it and you're dead," Usha growled, her eyes turning red._

_Shinichi groaned as he rubbed his temples, "This is why I don't bring friends over." He scolded, "Fran-san, remember that you're not supposed to dissect guests."_

"_Fine..." pouted Fran as she put away her instruments. "Well, at least can you give me a call if you ever need emergency surgery?" She looked eager for a chance to operate on Netto._

_Shinichi addressed Netto apologetically, "She was like this too when she cut me open."_

"_Is she... always like this?" Netto asked, managing to find his voice out of Kiko's ample chest._

"_Trust me when I say this is what she's like when she sees a new research subject," Shinichi stated. "She even asked me to bring home a Freak, alive and intact."_

"_Yeah, we heard," Kiko nodded, still holding Netto's head like a newborn._

"_Anyway, since we're all here, how about you guys stay for dinner?" Shinichi offered. "We don't usually have a lot of guests who come here that don't need Fran-san's unique brand of help. Just remember that if you do need help, desperately, like if you need to be put back together, consider Fran-san as your last resort only"_

"_Shinichi, you make me sound like some kind of abnormal weirdo," frowned Fran._

"_That's because I know you," he retorted._

"_Meanie," she stuck her tongue out at him._

_Usha looked back and forth at the banter, "You both fight like siblings, you know that?" she remarked. "It must be nice."_

"_We get that a lot," smiled Fran. "Oh, and fun fact: I was the one who named Shinichi. I got it off a corpse!"_

"_You didn't need to tell them __**that**__," Shinichi retorted._

"_He wasn't using it anymore and I thought it would make an interesting conversation over dinner."_

"_If we had that kind of conversation, nobody would have an appetite anymore."_

"_Does that mean you're not cooking tonight?"_

_Qiao then whispered to Kiko, "Is this really a sibling argument?"_

"_They seem to get along better than I do with my eldest sister," Kiko whispered back, shrugging._

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 7: The Thing ****in the Mountain**

* * *

The gang had stayed for dinner, a meal prepared by Shinichi and Howl. It was delicious. They also had dessert. During the meal, they talked about mundane things, like school and such. Fran was more interested in a succubi's biology and how similar a kitsune was to an actual fox. Then, Qiao mentioned that Shinichi had deployed pincers.

Fran had, predictably, thought that Shinichi's pincers were fascinating. She had found the bracers where they were kept but had no idea what they were for until now. They were storage bracers for the pincers to slide out. She also confirmed that the bracers and pincers had not been built into Shinichi surgically.

That just raised more questions.

Fran observed him as he learnt how to properly deploy the pincers. She also studied how they could charge up plasma and concentrate it to form destructive projectiles. Shinichi sighed as he recalled the way Fran's eyes had sparkled and nearly popped out of her head in excitement.

While he loved her like an older sister, she could still creep him out.

She saw him as a physical marvel and he couldn't blame her. There weren't many cyborgs walking about. However, if the pincers had been part of him before he was cybernetically modified, then did that mean he was never truly human. According to Fran he had human DNA and also something else. She was trying to crack the code to see what the other half of his genes came from.

Well, there was no need to worry about that now. He needed to tell Fran that his class would be going on a ski trip.

* * *

Shinichi's class was already at the parking lot, getting ready to board the bus which would take them to the train station. Then they would take a train and finally another bus which would take them all the way to the mountain resort.

"Class, as much as I do not wish to join you for your trip, I am obligated to go along because I am your teacher," Bitteru-sensei began. She was dressed in a heavy black hooded cloak that hid most of her face in the shadows. "However, I do not want to spend any time in your presence so if you need anything don't even think of coming to me for help. However, as you will still require help as you are all worthless maggots, a chaperone will be joining us."

"Another chaperone?" Shinichi muttered. He turned to the sound of a rolling suitcase and his eyes widened at the sight of a certain stitched blonde wearing a dark cloak around herself, carrying said suitcase behind her.

"Hello, I'm Fran Madaraki! I'll be your chaperone!" Fran greeted cheerfully.

**WHAM!  
**

Shinichi facefaulted. He could hear his classmates whisper about Fran's appearance. He also heard them talking about 'body piercings' and sighed. He should really be impressed by how some humans could rationalize things. On TV and in books he had seen tribes who practiced extreme body modifications. The Chinese also used to practice feet binding and women wore corsets. Then there was plastic and cosmetic surgery. Some people also decided to decorate their bodies with tattoos and numerous piercings. So, the sight of Fran's stitches and bolts might be unusual and she might stick out but in the modern era she wasn't exactly unusual.

"I shouldn't have told her..." Shinichi groaned as he messaged his temples.

"Ara, why are you on the ground, Shinichi?" Fran asked as she looked down at her young charge. "Is there something wrong with your legs? Do you require any assistance?" He jumped to his feet.

"No! No! I'm fine!" he insisted, laughing.

"Now all of you, board the bus," Biteru-sensei pointed at them. Her bare hand was exposed to the world as it suddenly started to smoke and burn up. She quickly returned her hand back inside, "I can only survive for so long in the sun, so hurry up!"

The students started follow the grim teacher into the bus in the single file. As they were waiting in the back of the line, Takeru asked Shinichi, "Hey, Shinichi. Do you know the blonde?"

"She's my guardian," answered Shinichi.

"OK," nodded Takeru. "Is she single?"

Shinichi cocked an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"

"Well, even with all those stitches and those bolt things in her head, she's kinda hot," Takeru said. "So, is she?"

"Don't even think about flirting with her, Takeru. Trust me. It's for your own good," Shinichi warned his friend.

"Can you at least introduce us?" Takeru requested.

"Fine, but don't flirt with her. She's like a big sister to me and the last thing I wanna see is one of my friends flirting with her."

"I'll keep him in line," Saji volunteered.

"Thanks," Shinichi said gratefully.

"Shinichi-kun, you should get on the bus now before it leaves without you," Fran informed Shinichi.

"I know that, Fran-san," Shinichi sighed. Shinichi introduced Fran to Saji and Takeru. "Fran-San, these are my my friends. Takeru, Iinchou, I'd like you to meet my guardian. Fran Madaraki."

"Your Shinichi's guardian, huh? Name's Takeru Saotome." He gestured to Saji, "That's Saji Hullum."

"Hello!" Fran greeted them cheerfully. "Shinichi has told me a lot about you!"

"Huh, glad to be noticed then," Saji smiled.

Takeru asked, "Sooo, are those stitches _real_?"

**BAP!**

"Ow!" Takeru cried, nursing the goose on his head courtesy of Saji.

"Don't be rude!" scolded Saji. "I apologize for him, Madaraki-san. He has chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome."

"I know how terrible that. I actually had to fix someone who had his foot stuck in his mouth," Fran answered.

"Fran-san, for the love of god, please don't talk about work," pleaded Shinichi.

"What do you do for a living?" Saji asked.

"I'm a surgeon and biochemist," Fran answered proudly. "And before you ask, yes. I do look a little too young for the profession. But my father taught me everything I know, and he's one of the best in the world."

"Wow, your dad must've been pretty cool to do that," Saji said, astonished.

"If you damn kids don't get on right now we're leaving you!" barked Biteru-sensei from the bus.

"We can talk more on the bus," Fran said to them. "Hop on board!"

Shinichi, Saji and Takeru all silently agreed as the quickly boarded the bus. With everyone on board, the bus engines started up and went on its way to the train station. On the bus, Fran and Shinichi sat next to each other, disappointing Moka and Kurumu as they ended up on the same seats behind them. They had wanted to sit next to him.

"Lemme guess, Veronica-chan will be looking after the estate while we're gone, huh?" Shinichi asked Fran.

"Well, since she couldn't come along she decided to stay. Oh, and she also said that if you let anything happen to me she would gut you," Fran answered.

"Sweet kid as usual," Shinichi replied with a smirk, sarcasm dripping from his lips. At least she was pleasant compared to Biteru-sensei.

"Well, when you discovered your pincers, she just can't help but want to see how you fared with them. She wasn't prepared for plasma blasts, though." Shinichi looked at his arms and Fran asked, "Still wondering about where you came from?"

"A little, but I don't think there's a point obsessing over it," he answered. "So, you really signed up to be our chaperone?"

"Well I need a break from my work. Plus, I can look after you and your classmates. If anyone is in need of emergency surgery, you won't need to look far." She patted her bag of instruments and Shinichi grimaced.

"Try not to go overboard with that creativity of yours, OK?" he advised her.

The bus stopped at the train station and the students got off the bus to board the train next. Moka swiftly got herself a seat next to Shinichi, much to Kurumu's chagrin. However, the succubus planned to seat next to him on the bus ride to the resort.

* * *

It didn't take long for the class to reach the ski resort, as the trip was somewhat shorter than anticipated. The students all smiled and looked around in glee as they the snow lodge that stood near the mountain. It looked like most of the other mountain resorts, with ramps and snow lodges. Still, this was the first for many to be actually staying such a place. They never imagined that they would be staying in a sky resort, not once.

"Woah~!" Qiao beamed as the sight, "It's so pretty!"

"Sure is impressive, isn't it?" Netto added, his smile growing as he took in the sight. "This place looks like it has everything! Wish Kiko and Usha were here though."

"Hey, don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to play with them once we get back," Qiao told him, taking his hand.

"Yeah, you're right," Netto smiled.

"Seriously, are you ever gonna tell me how you managed to attract two of the sexiest girls in school?" Takeru asked incredulously, over hearing them.

"How should I know?" Netto shrugged, "Gramps always did say that I had a way with older women."

"Even MILFs?" he pressed on.

"What do yo- oh, come on!" Netto exclaimed, frowning. "Like that's ever gonna happen. Be realistic man!"

"Ah sure dude, whatever you say," Takeru said, rolling his eyes.

"Seriously," Netto muttered to himself. "MILFs. You have to stop watching too much porn, pal."

"Eyes up front, maggots!" Biteru-sensei shouted. All eyes quickly turned on her as the old woman in black stood next to Fran. "Now then, before you go running along to enjoy your winter snow days, there are a few things you need to know about the ski resort. I will now be turning the floor over the resort's owner, Tsurara Shirayuki. And then be quiet! And then I go away from you all!" As she said this, another woman walked up between them and in front of the students. This woman was quite beautiful, with soft looking pale skin, crystal blue eyes and light violet hair done up in a bun. She was dressed in a purple winter coat with matching pants and brown boots, which showed her slender physique. She had a refreshing smile on her face as she looked on the class before her.

"Thank you, Biteru-san," the woman bowed at the teacher. Biteru-sensei simply snorted as the woman, Tsurara, spoke to the class. "Greetings everyone, and welcome. As your teacher has already stated, I am Tsurara Shirayuki, the owner of this resort. I would ask you to please follow the rules here and enjoy the facilities. Besides that, just have fun skiing. This is a place of leisure, especially with your own significant other. If you are here for romance as well, this is the perfect getaway. If you need anything, please speak with my staff and they will provide for you."

Shinichi noted that her eyes didn't have any pupils but just shrugged it off. Since meeting Fran, his new friends and due to his own circumstances, he just didn't think something like an eye condition was all that unusual. He did notice most of the boys, especially Takeru, looking very attentively at Tsurara as she spoke.

"Now then, with everything said, please head to your rooms to get yourselves settled before you get out to enjoy the snow!" Tsurara beamed, clapping her hands together.

"Hai~!" the students obeyed.

* * *

"Looks like you and I are roommates," remarked Shinichi as both he and Netto entered their shared room. There were four beds in the room.

"Looks that way," Netto added, putting his luggage on one of the beds. "Qiao was the only other one I shared around with, so it'll be a bit weird without her in the same room for a little while."

"It's only for the weekend. Plus you'll see her out on the slope and also in the lodge," Shinichi told his friend. "Oh, and they also have a mixed bath."

"Did I hear a mixed bath?" Takeru asked as he poked his head inside.

"Takeru?" Shinichi questioned, surprised to see his friend.

"Hey, what's up homies?" Takeru grinned as he came in with Saji. "We got this room too."

"Good, all of us here together," Saji smiled in approval. "We are going to have a good time here, guys."

"By the way, was it just me or was the resort owner a total babe?" Takeru questioned. "Seriously, I'm not the only one who noticed, right?"

"She also has the power to get us kicked out," Saji reminded. "So I warn you, Takeru, not to perform any of your inappropriate antics."

"Chill man. I ain't stupid you know," Takeru reminded him. He pointed at Saji just as the class representative was about to retort, "Saji, shut up."

"So, what do you guys wanna do before hitting the slopes?" Shinichi asked. He then watched as Takeru took out a slim PS2 from his bag. "Really? You brought video games to a ski resort?"

"Hey, we need something to do while in our room! Now, help me hook this up to the TV!" insisted Takeru. Shinichi just rolled his eyes.

"I'm game," Netto grinned. "You wouldn't happen to have Unreal Tournament, would you?" He was a real beast at the game. It was one of the games he and Qiao enjoyed playing together... aside from the more _intimate _games.

"I got it and so much more," grinned Takeru.

* * *

"Looks like it's just the three of us," said Moka as she, Kurumu and Qiao entered their room.

"Mou~! Why can't I be with my Shinichi?" whined Kurumu.

"It's not like you won't see him again," remarked Qiao.

"Strange, since I thought we'd have a fourth roommate," Moka commented.

"Excuse me, girls. Do you mind if I come in?" Fran requested. the girls blinked as they saw Fran wheeling in her own luggage. "Thanks."

"What are you doing here?" Kurumu asked. Fran was supposed to be their chaperone, wasn't she?

"Well, I'm your fourth roommate!" beamed Fran. "I hope you will have me." She bowed.

"Yeah, sure," Qiao nodded, smiling almost uneasily. "So, what's in that luggage of yours?" The suitcase was rather big.

"Oh just the necessities. I really can't leave home without them," Fran answered.

"Necessities? Like what?" Kurumu dared to ask.

"Oh, just the usual," Fran said as she began listing with her fingers, "Scalpels, forceps, syringes, anaesthetic, heart defibrillator, heart monitor, artificial hearts, artificial bones, artificial muscle tissue, oh, and a Nintendo 3DS XL."

"Uh..." Moka uttered, blinking dumbly at the list the young doctor had just given them. "So you're prepared for anything I see."

"You never know when you'll need to operate. This a ski resort and accidents happen," Fran declared proudly, a fist to her chest. "As a doctor, it is my duty to save lives!"

"Can't argue with that logic," Qiao admitted.

"And if any of you need anything, like maybe some cosmetic or plastic surgery, you can always come to me," Fran offered. "Just be sure you can pay for it."

"I'm not sure if any of us has the money," Kurumu said, waving her hands meekly, "But thanks for offering."

"Well, we should unpack and get ready for the slopes. We don't have much daylight left," Moka suggested.

"Already taken care of!" Qiao smiled, balling her fists on her hips proudly. The three other girls gaped in surprise as the found all of her gear and clothing already unpacked and set up for the stay. She was dressed up in an orange and black coat with matching pants with a black snow cap on her head. She also had her snowboard under her arm and was grinning from ear to ear. "Last one to the slopes is a Catholic priest! Woo-hoo~!" she cheered as she raced out of the door.

"That's a girl who knows how to have fun," observed Fran.

"She's got the right idea," Kurumu smiled, pulling out her own coat. "Well, we better join her."

"You girls go on ahead. I'll catch up," Fran said. "Just need to prepare my gear for standby."

"Whatever you say," Moka answered, a sweatdrop forming on her head.

* * *

The mountain resort was equipped for skiers and also the lodge was where they would be staying. All the students were dressed in insulated clothing to keep warm. They could even rent skiing equipment at the lodge. Shinichi was going down the slope at high speeds. He then slowed down and buried his ski poles into the snow to make a complete stop. He lifted up his goggles and smiled as everyone was having fun skiing. While he had only skied on a simulator, it did not compare to the real thing. Also, unlike the simulator, there was real snow. As far as he could remember, this was the first time he had seen real snow. He had seen it in books or on TV but they paled in comparison to actually seeing the real thing. And, when there was snow that also meant cold temperatures.

He was dressed in a blue winter jacket with a fur-lined hood and black pants. He also wore goggles on his forehead. He then saw Moka coming down and she stopped next to him. Her snowsuit was white and green, showing off her curves. On her head she wore a snowcap.

"That was fun," Moka smiled to Shinichi. He smiled back. He was glad he could take a break from fighting Freaks and studying. It felt good, especially spending time with his friends.

"Well, it sure beats the simulator at the arcade," agreed Shinichi. Something then caught his eye, "Hey, check that out!" Moka turned and spotted Netto flying in the air on a snowboard. He spun in midair before landing on the snow. Netto came sliding down in his snowboard alongside Qiao and at the foot of the slope they came to a stop, kicking up flurry as they did.

"I win," Netto bragged as he pulled his goggles up to his forehead.

"Well, I almost had you," retorted Qiao.

"Maybe next time, Qiao."

"That was pretty good," Shinichi admitted. "So, how did you guys learn to snowboard?"

"We used to go on some traveling with granddad," Qiao said. "He's an archaeologist, you know."

"Really? You know, I've started to gain interested in the subject of archaeology. Has he uncovered any lost artefacts from lost civilisations dating back way back when?" Shinichi inquired.

"He's found hundreds," Netto replied, "He even wrote a couple books on the subject. If you want we could get you a copy."

"Really? Sweet, that'll be great," Shinichi smiled.

The group suddenly heard a scream and turned to see Kurumu skiing. Actually, it was more like she was flailing about in an attempt to ski. She was moving in an erratic pattern. Kurumu cried out in panic, "I can't stop!" She was out of control, unable to maintain balance or even stop. A tree was in her path and if she crashed into it, she would get hurt. Fortunately, Shinichi immediately moved to intercept her path and caught her in his arms. "Ugh!" she grunted on impact.

"You OK?" he asked and Kurumu's eyes shone as she looked up at him. She had saved him, yet again.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered as she put her arms around him for comfort. In a situation like this, a guy would take the chance to cop a feel. However, Shinichi wasn't like that. Kurumu wasn't sure if she should be happy that he didn't see her as a sex object or disappointed that he didn't find her sexually attractive.

"You don't know how to ski, huh?" he asked and she shook her head. "Don't worry, Kurumu-chan. I'll teach you." Inwardly, Kurumu cheered. With Shinichi teaching her how to ski, that would mean he'd be spending a lot of time with her.

Moka, seeing their interaction, could only glare in envy while Qiao giggled in amusement.

"Jealous, Moka?" Qiao teased.

"No," Moka denied.

"Relax, we got the whole weekend. You can find time to spend with Shinichi," Qiao assured the pink-haired vampire.

"OK," Moka accepted. It wasn't like Shinichi was choosing Kurumu over her. He was just being a good friend. However, Kurumu's plans weren't to just remain in the Friend Zone for long. She wanted Shinichi as a mate and Moka didn't want the succubus to steal away her best friend. As Shinichi was coaching Kurumu on how to properly stand on the skis and move herself forward, Qiao decided to satisfy her own curiosity.

"Just out of curiosity, does he know you have a crush on him?" Qiao asked bluntly. Moka blushed then pulled Qiao away to talk privately. Shinichi looked up from his teaching and noticed the girls walking off to another direction.

"Huh? Where are Moka-san and Qiao-san going?" Shinichi asked Netto.

"Girl talk," Netto answered simply.

* * *

Moka led Qiao to a corner near the slopes. She didn't exactly want to let anyone else to over here, and Qiao was the closest other girl she could talk to. Well, the closest girl who wasn't attracted to Shinichi anyway. She needed some advice from a girl who knew about relationships.

"So, what's up?" Qiao asked.

"How do you let a guy know you're interested but without being too obvious?" Moka questioned, fiddling her fingers together.

"So, you do have a crush on him," the fox smiled as she leaned in. Moka blushed, confirming Qiao's statement. "Come on, girl. Why so serious? If you like him, why not just tell him?"

"Because I don't want to be a distraction. I like him, a lot, but he has a much bigger responsibility as Dusk to waste any time," Moka answered depressingly.

"So? My Airen's got a kickass armor too, but we still find time to mess around and play. Preferably after a victory, or whenever have to I play nursery-maid," Qiao told her.

"That's great for you, but I think Shinichi has far too much on his mind. Since that day he often zones out," Moka replied. The day he learnt the name Frankenstein and what it meant for him. He was wondering about his past. The past he had forgotten.

"Then why not help him relax? Whenever he's down, help him out of the funk," Qiao suggested, "He might be some sort of superpowered cyborg, but he's still a teenager like the rest of us. He does deserve a break now and again. I mean, I'm sure he likes you back. He just doesn't know how to respond, that's all."

"He does let me drink his blood so I know he doesn't dislike me," Moka considered positively. That was a good sign. He cared about her enough to give her some of his blood.

"That's the spirit! Now go and get your man! I'm rooting for you!" Qiao encouraged.

Moka's face slowly formed a smile, and she nodded, "Hai! Arigato, Qiao-san!"

* * *

It was getting dark and the students went back to the lodge to warm up. Hot cocoa was served to the students and Fran enjoyed being inside a warm building. She liked skiing but she didn't like being out in the cold more than she should. She was, however, able to observe how Shinichi interacted with his peers and was happy. He had come so far since that day they had met. Maybe it was just fate that he ended up at her doorstep and became part of her unconventional family.

Qiao was snuggled up against Netto with a blissful smile, Shinichi was seated between Moka and Kurumu, and both Takeru and Saji had joined. The group of seven teenagers sat together as they enjoyed the warmth and each others company. "So..." Kurumu began, "Anyone know some good ghost stories?"

"I have one," Shinichi answered, "Fran told it to me once. You sure you wanna hear it though? It's pretty gruesome."

"Hey, who do you think we are, a bunch of tots?" Saji asked in a retort, "Tell us the damn tale!"

"You asked for it," Shinichi shrugged, smiling. "Once, there was some girl who wore ragged old clothing, with black hair as thick as burnt wood and her face covered in a mask. No one knew where she came from, and she never seemed to speak a word. And then one day, she came up to this boy who was walking to school, alone..."

* * *

_The little boy froze as a tall shadow lomed over him. Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned around. There, right in front of him, was a woman with ragged old clothing, with black hair as thick as burnt wood, and a face covered in a mask. "Little boy," the woman asked in a soft voice, "Can I ask you a question?"_

_The boy, not sure of himself, simply nodded slowly. _

"_Am I beautiful?" the woman asked him._

"_...Sure," the boy answered meekly._

"_Really?" the woman reached up to her face and grabbed the mask. In an almost slugish manner, her face was exposed, revealing a face that was as wrinkled as a raisin in the sun and more teeth than that of a shark, "Even now?"_

_Most people would scream in fright and run away as far as they could, but the boy had a different reaction. His face suddenly turned flushed and his breathing escalated. "Yes..." he breathed out, "You're wonderful..." he walked towards the woman, his face becoming redder, "You're like... the star of my favorite movie. Can I touch you?"_

"_If you wish," the woman grinned as she hugged the boy, "Enjoy the warmth of my embrace, as it will be your last..." the woman's monstrous jaws opened and she chomped down on his head._

* * *

"That poor kid never made it to school," Shinichi concluded. "When the traced the path he took, all they found was a puddle of blood and saliva, with his backpack right beside it. No one knew what happened, and no one ever saw that strange woman."

Everyone shivered involuntarily as Shinichi finished the tale, and both Moka and Kurumu clenched onto his arms tightly. "She told you that?" Moka whimpered.

"Yeah, didn't make much sense to me at first, but the more I thought about it, the creepier it got," he said.

"I've got a horror story," Netto challenged. "Found it off a book once too"

"Really? Then let's hear it," Shinichi courted, leaning back on his arms.

"OK... around some years ago, there was a swim team from an all-girls school that was having a field trip to a swimming competition," Netto began, gain a look of grim on his face. "As they were staying at a hotel, there were using the swimming pool to do some drills. But then, one of the girls found a peeping tom looking through a window..."

* * *

"_KYAA!" one of the girls screamed as she backpedaled from the window. "A peeping tom!" Instantly, the other girls began to flock in embarrassment and outrage as the swimming area was filled with their screams._

"_What? A peeping tom!?"_

"_Seriously? He's got some nerve!"_

"_That hentai will pay!"_

"_I'll show em!"_

"_Where is he!?"_

"_He's over there!" the girl pointed at the window, "There! That's his shadow!"_

"_What?" the swim team captain exclaimed. "Everyone calm down! This is the tenth floor of the hotel, there's no way he can peep here in the middle of the day!"_

_The rest of the swim team seemed to calm down, logic starting to set in. "So if it isn't a peeping tom, what is it? Some kind of ghost, then?" another one of the girls asked._

"_I don't know, but we better cheek just to make sure," the captain replied. She turned to the vice-captain. "Oi, Hikari. Go dry yourself and call the manager. Tell him that we found something weird." The vice-captain nodded, and went out of the swimming hall to go get help. Meanwhile, the other girls slowly inched towards the window, slightly and cautiously. As they got to the window and could clearly see what was behind it, they also quickly recoiled in shock and fright. Their bodies quivered and shook as they looked in disbelief at what they saw._

_And what they saw was no peeping tom, but a corpse of a man with noose tied tightly around his neck, with his eyes bulging out and his tongue loosely hanging out of his mouth as his body swayed in the wind._

* * *

"The swim team was so traumatized with what they saw that they actually had to pull out of the competition to get psychiatric attention," Netto continued, "As it turned out, the man they saw had recently found out his wife was cheating on him, and out of depression decided to end his own life. Even to this day, those girls could never forget the sight of a dead man hanging by their window."

"Wow, man," Kurumu shuddered, "If I found a corpse hanging by my window, I'd freak out too."

"Me too!" Qiao and Moka added in unison.

"Where in the Sam-Hell did you find that story anyway?" Saji asked.

"There's this manga that had short stories of horror and thrills," Netto said, rubbing the back of his head. "It was one the stories that managed to stick with me, cuz it actually made me crap my pants."

"You crapped your own pants?" Takeru laughed, "Oh, wow! I can see why!"

"What? You crapped your own pants too?" Saji snickered.

"No, course not! If I did I'd shove it up your nose," Takeru retorted. "Then we'd see who's laughing."

"Break it up, you two," Shinichi chided. "So, anyone have other stories to tell?"

"I got one," Takeru offered. "Has anyone heard the legend of the yuki-onna?"

"Who hasn't?" remarked Saji. Yuki-onna was part of Japanese mythology after all.

"Well, the locals say that there is a yuki-onna right here on this mountain," Takeru continued. "Heard it from one of the resort staff members. Apparently, a long time ago, men kept disappearing and witnesses say they were spirited away by a woman who was seen only in the winter. Said woman was said to have an unearthly beauty and skin as pale as ice. Sometimes she's clad in a white kimono. Other times she could be complete nude and is so pale that only her hair and face sticks out in the snow." He didn't even stop to make another "bow-chika-bow-wow" quip as he continued. "She never leaves any footprints in the snow, like she's a ghost or something. Whenever she's startled, she turns into a blizzard to escape. And every time she appears, a man vanishes, like he was spirited away."

"Whoa, that's spooky," Shinichi involuntarily shivered.

"Well, to be honest, if a hot snow woman wanted to spirit me away, I wouldn't mind," shrugged Takeru.

"_Hot_ snow woman. Isn't that an oxymoron?" Netto asked.

"You got the moron part right," Saji joked and everyone shared a laugh at that, even Takeru.

"Well, you won't have to worry about being taken. Yuki-onna only come out during snowstorms," Takeru said.

"Uh..." Moka began slowly, "Isn't there going to be a snowstorm later tonight?" She had seen the weather report, and it said that the weather was not going to be pretty tonight.

"Relax, Moka. If a scary monster woman comes, I will protect you," Takeru offered. He had no idea how ironic that statement sounded.

"I bet you'd run away screaming like a little girl," mocked Saji. "Just like when you screamed during that movie."

"I keep telling you that wasn't me! It was the girl behind me!"

"Sure...I believe ya."

"Is that sarcasm?"

"Nope."

"Stop patronizing me."

So the group continued to share ghost stories to pass the time until they were called for dinner. Shinichi ended up being seated between Kurumu and Moka. While Shinichi's male classmates for the most part had accepted that he had befriended the two beautiful girls, they couldn't help but feel envious of him at the same time. Besides, Netto had also earned their own ire as well, having two of the hottest girls in school suddenly attracted towards him.

Tsukasa Shirayuki spoke to the Ryoukai High students as they ate, "I would like to thank you all again for choosing our resort. Please, enjoy your meal and our facilities. The baths are also opened to you."

The students were happy to hear that. A nice hot bath sounded great after being exposed to this cold weather. It wasn't like it hadn't been fun to go out and ski but at some point they wanted to feel the comfort of a hot bath. A bath in a place like this would feel wonderful. And this was just the first day of their trip. They still had another day before they had to leave and were planning on making the most of their trip.

Moka smiled at Shinichi. She recalled Qiao's words. Even if he had responsibilities, he also needed to have a life. He may not be able to have a completely normal life but she still wanted to be a part of his life. He deserved to know that there was someone who really cared about him despite whatever flaws he think he might have. The only problem was that Kurumu was the same way and wasn't too shy to use her sensuality to her advantage. Unlike Kurumu, Moka's interaction with boys was rather limited so she really didn't know how to flirt. Hopefully, Qiao's encouragement could help her to let Shinichi know what she felt for him.

After dinner, the students went to take a bath. Saji, Takeru, Shinichi and Netto finished early and were headed back to their room.

"This was a great day," Takeru stated as he stretched with a huge smile on his face.

"Really?" Shinichi asked.

"Of course. I chatted up some hot ski bunnies," bragged Takeru.

"Did they say 'buzz off' or 'take a hike'?" Saji asked.

"Of course not!" Takeru shot back. "Why can't you believe I can pick up a girl?"

"Experience," Saji answered simply.

"I have seen you get slapped once or twice," Shinichi agreed. "Kicked in the shin and the crotch too."

"OK, for the record, I had no idea she was still in middle-school," frowned Takeru.

"How could you not know?" questioned Netto curiously.

"She was too tall and busty! Plus she was with her brother!" the hapless perverted answered defensively.

"He didn't take too kindly to Takeru's attempt to pick up his sister," added Shinichi.

"I'm lucky he didn't stick around to give me a beating!" Takeru continued.

Saji quipped, "Did you forget to mention it was her little brother and he was half your size?"

"Shut up."

* * *

Kurumu was soaking in the large tub and was sighing, "Now this is what I needed. A nice soak in hot water." The lodge had an indoor bath filled with hot spring water. Too bad it wasn't the mixed bath, though. She then watched Moka filling the bath with strange nature-smelling powder. "Moka, what are you doing!?"

"I'm sorry," Moka apologized before she explained, "But I really can't stand normal water unless it's been treated with special herbs." Once Moka was sure the herbal solution was properly added, she joined Kurumu. "This is nice," she sighed cutely.

Kurumu furrowed her eyebrows and then watched as Fran came in. She stared at the stitches that covered the blonde's body. There were so many of them and yet the blonde wasn't bothered. She watched as Fran took a shower and scrubbed herself down with soap before rinsing it off and then coming to soak in the bath with them.

"I should come on these trips more often," sighed Fran as she stretched. It felt so good to relax in hot mineral water.

"Hey, I was wondering," began Kurumu, "You really don't mind if people see you?"

"Kurumu-chan, that's rude!" scolded Moka.

"It's alright, Akashiya-san. And to answer your question, Kurono-san, people come to see me all the time to do work for them," Fran answered. "It's just something to get used to. I mean, I'm not as weird compared to all those people who decorate their bodies with piercings. And there are people who have stitches and scars. There are also people with metal plates in their heads. Compared to them, I'm not all that weird looking." That was Fran's perspective. Besides, if she was going to care about her looks she would've become a shut-in. That just wasn't her.

"I wish I had your confidence," said Moka in admiration.

"If I cared about what others thought of me, I wouldn't be the person I am today," smiled Fran pleasantly. "Well, actually I'm the person I am today because of the professor."

"The professor?" Qiao asked as she came into the tub, "What's he like?"

"Ah, the professor is a wonderful person," Fran giggled dreamly, sighing as she tilted her head. "He's the ideal man. I'm sure you girls would think so as well once you met him." She really did look up to the professor, maybe a little _too _much. The man was her father. He had made her and she worked hard to live up to his expectations.

"Hey Qiao, I got a question," Kurumu started, grinning from ear to ear. She asked, "How is Netto in bed?"

"Kurumu-chan!" a blushing Moka cried. "You can't ask something like that!"

"She's the only girl here that has experience," reasoned Kurumu. "I wanna know what it's like. Besides, this is a chance for us to have some girl talk and girl talk involves talking about guys."

Qiao giggled slightly as she answered, "Well... we haven't gotten all the way to C yet, but we do share the same bed. I really like to cuddle up with him in my tails. And he's actually very shy and submissive in the sac. I like it a lot."

"So he's the submissive type?" Kurumu blinked, smirking, "That's something you don't here about a man everyday."

"It's been like that since we were kids, since I am older than him, even if it is by almost a year. I guess we both kinda like it that way," Qiao smiled. She then addressed the succubus and vampire, "And what do _you _girls like about Shinichi?"

Moka, blushing, confessed, "He has such delicious blood."

Kurumu cocked an eyebrow in disapproval, "So he's just a juice box to you?"

"No! That's not it at all!" defended Moka. She added, "It's just he's not like other boys."

"Other boys don't have hi-tech suit of armor or cybernetic implants," added Fran.

"It's not just because of that," Moka retorted. "Shinichi-kun's just been so kind to me. Other boys just want to get close to me because of the wrong reasons. I'm not that ignorant. He's the first boy who wanted to be friends with me for the sake of friendship."

"So you just want to be friends?" Kurumu interrogated. Moka offered no answer as Kurumu continued to frown but the succubus let it go, for now. She answered Qiao, "Well, if you want to know, then it's pretty simple. Shinichi's my Destined One."

"We know, but why?" Qiao asked.

"It's because he cares about me for me," Kurumu answered. "I know I'm sexy and boys fall over their feet to get to know me. Not Shinichi, though. I'm not sure if he's playing hard to get but he cares about me. My mother told me that your Destined One will love you for who you are, not for what you look like. He even saved me."

"So, just because he saved your life?" Fran questioned. "Isn't it natural to fall for your savior?"

"He's also cute and he has a great butt!" Kurumu grinned pervertedly.

"Kurumu-chan, don't objectify him like that!" cried Moka in protest.

"I have to agree. Shinichi has a rather attractive appearance. Even if he looks a bit feminine," argued Fran.

"But looks aren't everything, right?" Moka asked meekly.

"True, but it couldn't hurt to have a good looking package," Fran replied, "You yourself are a testament to that fact."

Moka fiddled with her fingers timidly, "I never thought about myself like that..."

"Beauty is only skin deep, but sometimes beauty can be both inside and out," Fran stated wisely, "Shinichi is not the type to be attracted to someone just for their looks. For now, he likes you as they way you are, and yes that includes your other self. Trust me when I say that he'll return both your feelings soon."

"But wouldn't he have to pick one of us eventually?" Kurumu asked.

"Maybe. Or maybe we could take you both," Qiao said, smiling foxily.

"Both of us?" Moka blushed.

"He doesn't like seeing girls cry," Fran told him. "And most Youkai have practised polygamy from what I can understand."

"Well... my father does have two wives, including my mother," Moka admitted slowly.

"Your father has two wives?" Kurumu gawked, "I can only imagine what the late nights are like."

"Must be a wild threesome every night," Qiao added, the thoughts already in her head, "Must be fun."

"And I bet the two wives enjoy having ther-"

"No, no, no! Please stop! Those are my parents you're both talking about! Hauuuuuuuu~!" Moka exclaimed, covering her face in embarrassment. Her face became so red, one could cook an egg on it. Steam even blew out of her ears.

"Ah, looks like we went a little too far there," Qiao sweatdropped, smiling in embarrassment, "Sorry, Moka-chan."

"Yeah, our bad," Kurumu agreed, rubbing her head.

"Well, this was a fun way to chat it up," Fran smiled, stretching her arms, "What do you girls want to do next?"

* * *

In the boy's room, Shinichi and Takeru were playing on the PS2 in their room while Netto watched. Saji was sitting on his bed reading a magazine. Shinichi and Takeru fiddled wildly with their controllers as they both competed in a fighting game.

"I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win!" boasted Takeru as he continued to mash buttons.

"No, you're not," Shinichi deadpanned as he pressed a quick button combination. Takeru's jaw dropped as his character's health completely dropped to 0 as the game announced, **"PLAYER 2 WINS!" **Shinichi looked to Takeru and smiled, "I win."

"Best 6 out of 10!" Takeru demanded a rematch.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna take a walk to stretch my legs," said Shinichi as he stood up. He handed the controller to Netto, "Here you go."

"I was waiting for you to give me a turn," Netto frowned and then grinned as he took the controller. "Hey, Saji. You wanna play me next?"

"Nah, you two can keep on playing," Saji declined politely as he was reading a gun magazine. "Oh, baby. That's what I like." He was drooling.

"Well, suit yourself," said Netto.

"I'll be back later," Shinichi said as he left the room.

Shinichi had spent several hours playing video games with his friends before he decided to take a break. Netto was getting along well with Saji and Takeru so he let them continue playing as he went out to take a bit of a walk. Sitting down for hours and playing video games left his legs stiff and he needed to stretch them.

As Shinichi was walking along the lodge's corridor, his ears picked up something. At first he assumed it was a couple having fun in their room but what came next dashed those thoughts aside completely.

"_Help me...please...help me..."_

It was a weak, pain-filled cry for help. It wasn't even a recording or from a television. It was real. Instantly, Shinichi turned towards the source and stood in front of the door. He knocked on it, "Hello? Hello? Are you alright?' He got no answer but he could've sworn he heard the sound coming from here. He then took a few steps back then kicked the door open before storming inside. He then froze at the sight before him.

A man, in his forties, with a big belly was lying naked on his bed. However, that was not the sight that made Shinichi cringe. It was the naked woman hovering over him, feasting on the man's innards. She was lithe, attractive, with dark hair in a pageboy haircut. She had a voluptuous figure that could drive a weak-willed man wild.

She glared up at Shinichi with inhuman eyes then shrieked at him. Her mouth actually opened four ways, revealing sharp teeth. She removed herself from her meal, and then jumped through the window. There was a loud crash as glass shards went flying.

Shinichi recovered from the shock of what just happened and went to the man. "Sir? Sir?" he asked in a slight panic as he looked him over.

"...Help...help me..." he gasped. He was losing a lot of blood and his body had been torn into, with guts and organs sprawled out and most of them had been chewed on. If he didn't get immediate medical attention, he was going to die. He was already starting to fade.

"Don't worry, sir! I'll get help! Just stay with me!" Shinichi pleaded. He got out his phone and called Fran.

* * *

Fran was playing on her Nintendo 3DS when her phone rang. She picked it up and saw who was calling on the Caller ID. Knowing that Shinichi wouldn't call her unless it was important, she answered the call and put the phone to her ear.

Fran's tone turned serious as she listened and nodded, "I understand. I'll be right there." She then put her phone away and picked up her bag of instruments.

"Fran-san, where are you going?" Moka asked.

"Yeah, we were about to play the King's Game," Kurumu added.

"Sorry, girls. Duty calls," Fran smiled. "I'll be right back." She left the room, her roommates curious by Fran's statement.

* * *

Fran arrived to the room and saw Shinichi trying to keep the man from fading. "I'm here," she declared before closing the door behind her. She then knelt down and examined the man. Shinichi had covered the lower regions with a towel. "Some significant damage to his intestines, liver and stomach. He's also lost a lot of blood."

"Can you help him?" Shinichi asked.

"Don't worry. I have my tools," Fran assured Shinichi.

"Good. Now I gotta hunt down whatever did this," Shinichi told her. He stood up and went for the door.

"Shinichi, wait!" Fran exclaimed.

"You can't stop me, Fran-san," he retorted, looking back at her.

"No, I just need you to bring me back the body for research!" she requested and Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Can you do that?" He gave an 'OK' sign and dashed out of the room. Fran then looked at the patient and nodded, "Alright! Commence the operation!"

* * *

Shinichi exited the lodge and found where the snowmobiles were parked. He got on one and activated his Battle Driver before starting the engine. He then rode through the blizzard, slotting his Transformation Chip into his Battle Driver.

"**Stand By! OK?"**

"Henshin!"

"**Change OK! Complete: Dusk!"**

The energy cocoon formed and exploded instantly, revealing an armor-clad Dusk. His yellow eyes glowed as he went in search of the elusive creature and his sensors went active as he performed a scan. The snowstorm was rather fierce tonight. However, Dusk would not be deterred as he went in search for his quarry. That woman, whatever she was, was a dangerous threat. Was it some kind of feral Youkai disguised as a human? Or something much worse? It couldn't have been a Freak.

'_Alright, where are you hiding...?'_ Dusk thought to himself as he continued searching.

**(Insert song - Revelation Suite - Red vs Blue)**

Suddenly, his senses flared in alarm as he felt ill intent rushing towards him by the side. Just as he turned to where the signal was coming from, a dark blur knocked Dusk right off his ride and he went tumbling along the snow while the snowmobile crashed into a tree. Grunting, Dusk got back to his feet to face his opponent. While visibility was limited, he could make out what his opponent looked like. It was the naked woman from before, but then her body suddenly shattered and she took on an entirely new form. Now, it resembled a human skeleton but with black skin stretched over its skeletal frame. It had sharp claws, a segmented tail, and a pair of feathered wings like a birds. It had sharp teeth as well as empty eyes. The horns on its head made it look demonic so Dusk had no choice but to label it as a demon.

"Well, let's do this!" Dusk whipped out two Battle Chips and activated them.

"**Pincer On! OK!"**

"**Duskalibur On! OK!"**

Now armed, Dusk was prepared for battle. With a howl, the unknown demon lunged at Dusk who was ready for it. Just as the demon arrived to deliver a swipe with his claws, Dusk quickly sidestepped out of the way and bashed his closed Pincer Claw against the back of its head, causing it crumple onto the snow and slide a few inches. The demon rose to its knees and growled as it smashed its fist against the snow before standing up to attack again. Sparks flew as Dusk parried the claws with his Duskalibur, the light flashing in the blizzard. Moving back from another slash, he spun his sword and bashed it across the chin, causing it to recoil backwards. He followed up by quickly grabbing its throat and kneeing the demon in the chest and then roundhouse kicking it into the snow. He clicked his Pincer Claw before firing a large streaming laser at the monster.

The monster reacted and ducked from the beam before strafing to the side. Dusk followed the demon in his sights and realized that it was rather fast for a monstrous skeleton. "Better try something else," he decided as he sank his Duskalibur into the snow. Still shooting at the demon, he used his free hand to pull out another Battle Chip and inserted it into the belt.

"**Soundwave On! OK!"**

The Battle Driver began to release a concentrated pulse that vibrated in the air, creating a very disturbing noise. It could be compared to the sound of two pieces of polystyrene being rubbed together or even nails on a chalkboard. Whatever it was, it was high-pitched and very painful. The demon got a high dose of high pitched sonic waves and ended up screeching in pain as it was sent to its knees, clutching its head. This left it open for an attack, which Dusk took advantage of by blasting the laser against it. The demon was hit and knocked onto its back, adding to the current pain as it rolled across the snow as the irritating, painful noise rippled through its body.

Dusk, seeing as his opponent was effectively stunned, capitalized on the situation to strike the demon down. He stopped his sonic assault and charged at it with the Duskalibur. He did not expect the demon to recover so quickly as it lashed out with its tail. Dusk was pushed back by the surprise attack, but quickly regaining balance. He punched forward and sent the Pincer Claw flying forward from his fist, counter attacking by slamming it against the demon's face. The Pincer Claw hovered back to Dusk and returned to being his shoulder pads as he went on the offencive. He lunged and attacked with a flurry of slashes, leaving no room for it to breathe as its blood started to spill across the snow. The demon roared and snarled as wounds ripped out with each blow. After a brutal assault, Dusk leapt back and slammed his leg at its face, and it flew backwards from the impact. The creature collapsed in the snow, its blood soaking the white powder, but it still slowly struggled to stand back up.

"I don't know what the hell you are," Dusk said, shouldering his sword, "But I know that I have to get rid of you now." He reached to get his Overdrive Chip when at that moment, the hair antenna in his helmet twitched as he sensed more movement approaching, "What? Another one?" He quickly turned around, just as another skeletal monster came charging at him. It went for an overhead strike with its claws, to which Dusk parried with his blade before sending a one-two punch at the face. He slashed at the midsection, sparks flying out from the hit, and lifted his foot up before slamming it down onto its back. The demon crashed down from the weight of his leg, but it still had a few more tricks up its sleeve. It concentrated as it gathered energy into the palm of its hand, an aura of crimson flaring up in the center. Then it slammed the hand down, a bright crimson explosion erupting as both it and Dusk were blown back and on to their sides.

The first demon managed to recover and joined its comrade who managed to get up hastily. Dusk, on the other hand, was panting and wobbly from the blast as he stood up, leaving him wide open. The demons showed no mercy as the attacked with twin brutal claw slashes that hit Dusk across the chest. They then continued its vicious assault with repeated claw slashes that sent Dusk staggering along the snow. Finally, the demons simultaneously struck Dusk violently in the chest and knocked him down.

**(Change song - When Your Middle Name Is Danger - Red vs Blue)**

Dusk gave painful grunts as he went rolling helplessly down the mountain as the demons watched. They lost sight of Dusk but grinned as they knew they were victorious, leaving the sight for parts unknown. As for Dusk himself, his transformation failed and was now left as Shinichi. He was facedown on the snow, unconscious, with no one but the blistering winds of the snowstorm as his witness. However, he wasn't alone for long. A silhouette could be seen in the blizzard as it approached him. As silhouette walked closer to his form, the figure's body became clearer as she approached him.

She was a beautiful girl with pale skin and long purple hair that went past her shoulders, likely around the same age as him. Her eyes was in a clear shade of blue, and were also pupilless, astonishingly just like Tsurara's eyes. She was also dressed in a white kimono but it reached down to mid-thigh like a mini skirt, exposing her long, smooth legs. She slowly walked towards him and turned him over. She studied him with her eyes and decided what she needed to do. There was no way he would survive out here in the cold with his injuries. As she gently took Shinichi by the arms and dragged him away, his glasses were left behind in the snow along with several Battle Chips.

**(End song)**

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**KRC: Well, looks like Shinichi's in a pitch. Or is he? Who's that girl? What were those things? Will his friends find him? Well, you will find out in the next chapter of KAMEN RIDER DUSK. Now, you guys might've noticed this is one pretty original story. Normally, Rosario Vampire fics are based on the canon manga and/or anime. However, there is something else. The original, prototype oneshot manga. Taking things from there, with our own original twist, we wrote this fic together. Hopefully, you guys will enjoy what happens next.**


	8. The Little Village of Horrors

Only girls with excellent social standing and girls who came from filthy rich families are lucky enough to spend their time at the Ryoukai's Best chamber. The Ryoukai's Best is something of a sub-club where the schools most beautiful young women with way too much time on their hands go to spend their school days during the time school is in session. You can think of it as Ryoukai High School's elegant playground for the super rich and beautiful. One such member of Ryoukai's Best is a seventeen year old named Kiko Kirishima. Beautiful, charming, and seductive, she is one of the top 15 most attractive girls in school. Being part Italian, talented with both the piano and ballet, she is a very cultural young lady with refined tastes thank you very much. So, it would be an understatement to say that when word got out that she was dating a freshman transfer student and not just as a one time fling, the reactions were rather... mixed.

Some of the rich and popular saw this as Kiko rebelling against her family, while the delinquents felt that the freshman was reaching godhood at dating a rich girl that would either fail epicly or become epic. Some of the jocks saw this as an attempt to get out her her clothing while some of the preppy girls saw this as star-crossed romance akin to Romeo and Juliet. Others didn't care, as they had other things to deal with. As the weeks passed by, Netto was finding himself congratulated on snagging one of the most sensual of girls that so many rich guys had failed to do. Said rich guys looked ready to throttle him for trying to even speak to Kiko for being so 'low class'. As with Kiko, few of the girls who she had never spoken to before began asking why on Earth she wanted Netto when so many other rich and handsome boys tried wooing her in the past. Fewer tried to convince her to break ties with him completely. Others, including her friends Miu, Mari, and Setsuna, were supportive.

However, said freshman wasn't available. He had gone on a ski trip with his class. That was why Kiko was feeling bored and a bit unhappy as she sat on one of the chairs in the Ryoukai's Best chamber.

"I'm so bored..." Kiko lay on the couch. "Bored, bored, bored, bored bored..." she groaned. Much like the other students of Ryoukai, her uniform had been adjusted for the summer weather. However, the only adjustments were the sleeves of her blouse shortening to her shoulders.

"It hasn't been that long," sighed Usha, rolling her eyes as she read a book next to her. Usha Lamia Lilitu was another seventeen year old member of the Ryoukai's Best. She, unlike Kiko, was viewed as an untouchable dark angel from Hungary, a romantic goth that could make boys willess with a mere glance. She also had the one of the largest breasts in school. She's known to be quite arrogant and haughty, and wouldn't think twice before talking down someone. The one thing she did have in common with Kiko was that she too was attracted to Netto. This earned the lad something of a reputation with many of the students, a reputation that's just as infamous as Shinichi's who also has two girls fighting for his attention.

"It's not fair. I wanted to go skiing too..." whined Kiko, plopping her elbows on her knees as she rested on her hands. "It would've been so romantic." She could picture it all in her mind; skiing on the mountains, cuddling in a warm lodge, making love by a fire... it would be scenes out of one of her favorite novels.

"Too bad that it was exclusive only for Bitteru-sensei's class," Usha sighed, "He'll be back Monday. Then, when another weekend comes, we can drag him off somewhere and ride him until his hips are broken."

"My, you're an insatiable one, aren't you?" Kiko deadpanned at her.

"I'm a lilim, so it's to be expected. Besides, you're thinking the same thing, are you not?" Usha replied defensively. Seeing Kiko's blush, she smiled as she knew she was right. She then asked, "I wonder why the headmaster sent them on that field trip to the mountains in the first place? There wasn't any announcement for it as far as I could tell."

"Well, the thing is my Netto's gone and I won't be able to see him again!" Kiko wined.

"And I keep telling you to wait until Monday! He won't be gone for long! Just do something else! You're starting to depress me!" Usha snapped.

"Fine," Kiko sighed resignedly. She fished out her cell phone and started typing on her pad, "Maybe I'll see if Mari is doing anything..." She then asked Usha, "You wanna come too?"

Usha sighed as she closed her book, "Alright. I have nothing else to do at the moment." The two girls came from different worlds, but they did seem to enjoy the other's company.

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 8: The Little Village of Horrors**

* * *

_It was a cold winter night as Dusk was walking in the park. He was wearing a tattered coat he had found in a donation box for the homeless to keep himself warm. He had gotten a drink of warm tea as well from the nice people at the homeless shelter but he was starting to feel chilly again._

_Dusk spotted a vending machine and went to it. Unfortunately, he had no money. Not like it was a problem for him. He drew his arm back and slammed his palm hard against the machine, causing it to shake. Immediately, it expelled its contents of hot beverages. He squatted down and scooped up the cans of coffee and red bean soup. They may not spill his stomach but at least he'd be warm._

_He had no home, no shelter, and no money. He had to resort to petty theft. Sometimes he had to even steal from an ATM machine and avoid getting caught. _

_He found a building went up the fire escape before stepping onto the roof. He drank the red bean soup and then laid down on ground and tried to think of anything else but his situation. It wasn't like he wanted to be homeless and alone, but being on the run left him little choice and he didn't trust anyone. He couldn't trust anyone. He was better off alone. That way he wouldn't be betrayed. That way he wouldn't get hurt._

* * *

Shinichi eyes opened and he pushed himself back up into a sitting position. A stinging pain in his head irritated him. "Itai..." he hissed as he put his hand against his forehead. He felt a bandage around his head and upon closer examination he found more on his arm. He also found himself wearing a white robe with more bandages on him. "What...?" When had he changed his clothes? The last thing he remembered was...the demons! He attempted to stand but a pain in his legs forced him back down in the futon he was in. He took note of his surroundings. The room resembled a traditional Japanese bedroom with shoji doors and tatami floor mats. He was in a futon with a blanket over him. He was also in a yukata. "Where am I...?"

The door of the room slid open and Shinichi tensed up. He clenched his fists, ready to deploy his pincers when he saw a beautiful girl with skin as white as snow and long violet hair enter. She was in a short kimono and the sight of her made him freeze and blush. Somehow, she looked somewhat familiar...

"Oh, you're awake," she spoke softly. "I was going to check up on you."

"Were you the one who put these bandages on me?" he asked and she nodded.

"I found you in the snow. You were hurt. I brought you home," she told him cryptically, kneeling down before him like a traditional Japanese woman.

"Thank you, um..."

"Mizore. Mizore Shirayuki," she answered.

"Shirayuki... Ah!" Shinichi exclaimed. "Are you related to someone named Tsurara Shirayuki-san?"

"So you've met my mother?" Mizore blinked. She smiled and shook her head, "Not surprising, since she does own the ski resort. You must have been one of her guests."

"I was on a school field trip with my friends. I found something weird so I..." Shinichi groaned as he clamped his head, realizing something. "Ugh... dammit."

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"My friends are gonna be out looking for me. I need to call them and tell them I'm alright. Where's my phone?" he asked as he looked around.

"You wish to leave?" she asked and the temperature seemed to drop slightly.

"Not right now, no. You said it yourself that I was hurt. But I need to call them and tell them I'm alright. Fran-san must be worried sick about me," he told her.

"Fran-san?" Mizore tilted her head curiously. "Is she someone important?"

"She's my guardian and the closest thing I got to family," Shinichi told her. "By the way, I'm Shinichi Sanban."

Mizore smiled, "Sanban-kun, it's nice to meet you."

* * *

Earlier the next day, once the storm had stopped, and after it was discovered what Shinichi never returned, a search party was organized to go look for him. Shinichi's friends joined the search party, worried about him. Fran was with them too since she was the last person to have seen him. She had informed Netto, Qiao, Kurumu and Moka that he had gone off to hunt down some kind of creature who had nearly mauled a man to death. Speaking of which, the man's life had been saved. Fran's surgical skills had saved his life. Fran was always dedicated to save any life no matter what the cost. Even if that person was already dead, she'd revive him because she can do just that.

Looking around the area, the search party found the wrecked snowmobile but no signs of Shinichi. There was also some spots of blood on the snow.

"OK, I know everyone is thinking it so I'm just gonna say it," started Takeru. "Shinichi was taken by the yuki-onna!"

Saji snorted, "A myth took Shinichi? Get real, man!"

"Dude, we've seen monsters back in town! Who knows what else is there!"

"Don't make any jokes!" Kurumu shouted angrily. "He has to be out there somewhere! Alone and scared! He could even be hurt!" When she had learnt that Shinichi hadn't returned last night, she was the first to demand a search party.

"Kurumu-chan, calm down," Moka said comfortingly as she put her arms around the distraught bluenette. "We'll find him."

"He's made of sterner stuff," Fran agreed. "I mean he was pretty much homeless before I took him in so he knows how to survive."

"What? He used to be homeless?" Saji asked.

"He never told you?" Fran questioned. "Guess he didn't want anyone to know and pity him. However, since he knows how to survive, there is no doubt in my mind that he is alright."

"Let's just hope that he is," Netto prayed, his back turned from Takeru and Saji. He was looking through his 3DS device which he now called the Freak Radar. If there was any Freak active, his radar would've shown red dots on the screen. But he got nothing. Either the Freak was out of range, or there wasn't any Freak in the area to begin with. So what was it that made Shinichi leave the inn? He closed the Freak Radar silently and pocketed it. Turning to Takeru, he said, "Hey, Takeru-san. You and Saji-san head back to the lodge for a bit alright? Well, take care of things from here."

"Hm? You sure you wanna do that?" Saji asked.

"Trust me. We'll be fine. Besides, you have to look after the rest of the class, Iinchou," Qiao told him.

Saji frowned sternly, but nodded, "Fine. Just get back safe, ya hear?"

"Can do," Kurumu answered. Saji looked satisfied as he and Takeru went back to the lodge. Once they were both out of sight, Kurumu gave off a sigh. "Alright, we're do we start?"

"From the looks of things, a fight took place here," Netto said, scanning the area. "But it's not a Freak."

"How can you tell?" Moka asked him.

"Because of this," Netto replied, holding up his Freak Radar. "This is what helps me find the Freaks whenever they're near. But there isn't one for miles. He was fighting something else."

"It might've been the demon that almost killed that poor man yesterday," Fran thought out loud, worried.

"A demon?" Netto repeated. "Well, that would explain a lot. We better look for anything that might tell us what happened. A clue- anything that could be of help."

"Right," Fran nodded. "I just hope Shinichi safe..."

* * *

Shinichi clapped his hands together and said, "Thank you for the food." Next to him was a tray with an empty bowl and platter. Mizore had made him a meal. He smiled at her, "Arigatou, Mizore-san." Mizore blushed and bowed her head so he wouldn't see her blush. "That was good. You know, you could make a very lucky man very happy if he marries you."

Mizore's blush deepened and she asked, "Are...are you feeling better?"

Shinichi rotated his shoulder and felt his arm, "I feel fine. No more pain."

"Well, if you'd like, would you like a tour of the village?" Mizore offered.

"OK. I'll go take a look around," Shinichi nodded.

* * *

Moka looked around the snowy field for clues that stuck out of place. She felt her boot almost stepping on something hard. She looked down and gasped at what she found. "Everyone! Come quick!" she shouted. Her friends quickly ran towards her at the sound of her voice as Moka gathered something into her hands, "These are his glasses and Battle Chips," she stated as she lifted up the items in her hands. "There's no way he would leave these behind."

"Looks like I have no choice," said Fran as she took out a tracker from her coat pocket.

"What is that?" Qiao probed.

"It's a tracker. When I examined Shinichi months ago I implanted a tracking chip in the base of his neck," Fran answered.

Moka was appalled, "You chipped him!?"

"Yes, and I'm glad I did. Now we can find him!" Fran beamed.

"And you couldn't tell us you had him chipped before _because_...?" Kurumu raised her voice.

"In all the excitement I kind of forget," Fran shrugged. "But if the tracking chip still works, that means he's still alive!"

"How can you tell?" asked Qiao.

"You see this blinking green dot on the screen? That means he's still alive. If it was a solid red dot, that means he's dead," Fran pointed out.

"Best news I heard all day," smiled Netto, relieved. "So, that thing can tell us where he is then."

"Yes, and he isn't very far," Fran confirmed. "You know, he's going to need a doctor. That boy is always getting himself hurt."

"As if we don't know," Qiao said. "So, where is he then?"

"According to this he's, several miles North," Fran reported.

"Then we better get moving," Netto nodded, slipping his goggles over his eyes. "Let's hurry up."

"Got it," Qiao nodded. The party of five treaded through the ice and snow, following the signal that hopefully lead to Shinichi. As they were walking, a dark skeletal figure slowly rose out of the snow and watched them from a distance.

* * *

Mizore led Shinichi out of her home after he was dressed back into his winter outfit and boots. Upon seeing the town, he gawked at the sight. The buildings looked like they were made of pure ice. With the sun in the sky, the light was catching on the frozen water, making everything sparkle. The sky looked like an amazing aurora. He also noticed that there weren't any men around the streets, but there were plenty of women. They were all wearing kimonos of some kind, usually with shades of white, blue, purple, or the odd splash of red. Most of the teenage girls were wearing short kimonos which let their legs be revealed. He wasn't sure where to look first. It was such an odd, yet beautiful village.

"A village of ice. It looks like I'm looking at diamonds," he admired in awe. "It's so beautiful."

"It's my home," Mizore said fondly. "It isn't much, but it's good enough for the rest of us."

"It looks so peaceful but where are all the men?" Shinichi asked, noting that the women were already noticing him. A few even giggle and whispered amongst themselves. His enhanced hearing allowed him to listen in on their whispers as they talked about how Mizore managed to find a good looking man or something.

"The birth rate of boys is rather low here, so we usually have to travel outside the village to find husbands," Mizore answered. "And the men that are among us are usually out of the village on the look out for dangerous monsters that could attack us at any time."

"Monsters?" Shinichi questioned. His eyes widened as images quickly flashed in his mind, images of the fight he had with the two demons just yesterday. "These monsters wouldn't happen to look like skeletal creatures with wings, would they?"

"The Horrors?" Mizore gasped, turning to face him, "You fought Horrors and survived!? When was that!?"

"A little while before you found me," Shinichi grimaced, seeing her face become even paler than it was before. "What? Shouldn't I have?"

"The Horrors are demons born out of an alternate realm. When they enter this world, the need a host to blend in, and its usually the first unfortunate human they see. Not only do they use the shell of said human to walk about undetected, but it also protects the from sunlight, which is very harmful to them." How did Shinichi managed to fight Horrors and only got out of it with just a few bumps and scratches? Was he even human? "Not only that, but they eat just about anything and anyway see. They are glutinous beasts and their hunger knows no bounds."

Shinichi scowled at the description. Sounded like these 'Horrors' were parasites. This also explained what was happening to that man he found. He was another meal. "Would an exorcism help?" Mizore shook her head slowly.

"An exorcism would suggest there was something left to save," said Mizore sadly, "Horror possession is irreversible. Once someone has been possessed, they become converted into the Horror's new body. Even if the demon within was removed, the soul has already been devoured so that the Horror can take over. In short, you're dead as soon as you let a Horror possess you."

Shinichi's expression was grim. To think that monsters like Horrors exist. To think that there would be monsters that would kill and possess indiscriminately. Sure he know that there may be several Youkai out there that saw humans as cattle, but these Horrors... there were mindless beast that wouldn't think twice before making a meal out of someone. "Seriously?"

"A little while ago, we only had yeti to deal with and they weren't as problematic," the pale girl told him. "Horrors are much more dangerous."

"I can imagine," Shinichi agreed, recalling the Horror he had found. It had taken over a woman and used her to attack the man. Hopefully, Fran managed to save his life. He then decided a chance of subject was in order. "So, um, Mizore-san. What do you do around here for fun?"

"Let me show you," Mizore smiled as she took Shinichi's hand.

* * *

Mizore lead Shinichi the village's ice rink where the people would skate. Like everything else in the town, it was very beautiful and gave of a shimmering aurora field. A few of the women were already dancing on the ice and the some of the smaller ones were stumbling on the rink, which he had to admit looked very cute.

"Would you like to give it a try?" Mizore asked.

"I dunno," he replied. "I've never really skated before."

"Don't worry, it's easy," she smiled reassuringly. "So, what about you?"

"Huh? What about me?"

"What do you do for fun?" she clarified.

"Well, I like to hang out with my friends. We go to the arcade, play games, even go paintballing," he told her.

"What's paintballing?" she asked. She had never heard of it.

"Oh, we have paintball guns and use them to shoot each other. The paintballs hurt when they hit but there isn't any lasting damage, unless you shoot someone in the eye. That's why we have safety gear," he told her. "But, besides that, I really enjoy Gunpla building."

"Gunpla building?" That was another thing she wasn't familiar with.

"Gunpla building is when we build plastic models of robots," he explained, "They're based off the mecha or vehicles in the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series. Gunpla is short for Gundam Plastic models. They're kinda like figures that you have to assemble since they're sold in pieces."

"They sell you a toy you need to put together yourself?" Mizore asked, confused. How could that be fun? To her, that sounded like the toy makers were just being lazy.

"That's the best part! I mean, when you complete your Gunpla you gain a sense of satisfaction! I like to customize my models too so they have my own unique style and signature!" he gushed wildly. Seeing the blank look on Mizore's face, he blushed and apologized, "Sorry, if I sound like a geek."

Mizore simply smiled, "Don't be. It's nice to feel passionate about something you're good at."

"Thanks. Not a lot of people get it even if there are a lot of us enthusiasts out there. My guardian doesn't get it either, but then again she's a surgeon so she prefers putting together actual body parts than plastic ones," he replied.

"What do you mean 'putting together actual body parts'?" Mizore questioned.

"She's a surgeon, and one of the best in the world. She also enjoys her work. I mean _really _enjoys it." The manic grin, sparkle in her eyes, and the excitement she felt when cutting people up and putting them back together was something he had grown accustomed too. Didn't mean it looked any less creepy. He just got used to Fran accentricities.

"Mother always told me that if we find something you're good at, you may as well enjoy it," Mizore said, "Your guardian must be really good at what she does."

"She's one of the best for a reason," Shinichi agreed.

* * *

Fran lead Moka, Kurumu, Netto and Qiao deeper into the mountain, following the signal that her tracker pointed towards. It seemed like hours because of the cold, but they hardly complained. The just wanted to find Shinichi as fast as possible. After walking a good amount of distances, Fran came to a stop and looked around her."OK, so according to this tracker, he's right here," Fran stated.

"Where?" asked Moka, peering around.

"Right here. At least a few metres ahead, but he's right here," Fran told her.

"I don't see anything," replied Qiao.

"Are you sure that thing isn't broken?" Kurumu asked as she looked over Fran's shoulder.

"This device is flawless! I always manage to find him," Fran defended.

"Does he know you even chipped him?" Netto asked carefully.

"It never really came up in conversation," Fran shrugged.

"If he's close by then we need to-OOF!" Kurumu tripped and landed in the snow.

"Kurumu-chan, are you OK?" Moka asked as she helped the succubus up.

"I'm fine, I just tripped on a rock," Kurumu answered as she brushed some snow off her.

"That's not a rock," said Fran as she put her tracker away and knelt down to pick up what Kurumu had tripped over. "It's a skull."

"KYAAAAA!" Kurumu screamed as she scrambled backwards. She then felt something under her palm and picked it up. It was a bone! "Kyaa!" she screamed again as she tossed it and Fran caught it.

"A human femur," Fran identified and she narrowed her eyes.

"What are human bones doing here?" Netto asked, afraid of the answer.

"Maybe someone froze to death?" Moka suggested.

"Skin and flesh would be preserved," countered Fran as she analyzed the bone she had in her hand. "There are teeth marks here."

"So he was eaten by a wild animal?" Kurumu asked, gasping.

"Human teeth marks," Fran finished. Everyone paled as they realized what she was implying. "These are the bones of an unfortunate victim of cannibalism." She then spotted another skull and picked it up, "And not just one."

"STOP PICKING THOSE THINGS UP!" cried Kurumu.

"Wait, these aren't human teeth marks this time," Fran analyzed. "And some of these bones look fresh like they're recent."

"That doesn't sound good," gulped Moka.

"And I'm getting the feeling that we're being watched," remarked Qiao. Her eyes widened as she cried out and pointed, "Airen, behind you!"

Netto's eyes widened and he turned around before he got tackled by a dark shape. It pinned him down and tried to snap its jaws at him. He struggled against it, keep its teeth away from his face. Having enough, Netto engulfed his body in blue static electricity, the monster's body getting engulfed in it as well. The creature shrieked in pain as the lightning coursed through its body before it eventually went limp, likely being electrocuted to death. Netto sighed then kicked it off him.

"Fascinating," Fran said as she went to study the creature Netto had subdued.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," huffed Netto, standing up and dusting the snow off his pants. "Don't worry about me."

"It has the shape of a human skeleton but covered in skin," Fran looked it over then opened its mouth. "But it has teeth capable of ripping flesh from bones." She studied the horns, "And it has horns. Is this some kind of mutation?"

"It's a demon," Qiao frowned. Moka didn't like how it smelled.

"It smells like rotten blood," Moka backed away while covering her nose, looking nauseous.

"What kind of demon is that?" Kurumu wondered. "It's so ugly!"

"I don't know..." Qiao said as her fox ears popped out of her head. She narrowed her eyes as she looked over to the distance, "But whatever it was, its not alone."

The others followed her gaze and looked on in shock at what they found. Matching towards them was a small army of several more skeletal monsters. They treaded through the snow towards the the group of cute monster girls and sole cyborg.

"More of them?" Moka stuttered as she backed away slowly.

"They must've sensed their kin in danger," Netto frowned, "Bunch've hypocrites." He summoned his Cyber Reactor around his waist and shouted out the activation code, "Henshin!"

"**Digitizing!"**

Virtual energy morphed his body into the suit of armor of Mega. With his eyes flashing to signify the completion of the transformation, brought out his Photon Debugger and took a stance, holding his sword up to his side as he stood straight, "Qiao-chan, make sure none of them get to the others!"

"OK! I'll help from the sidelines," Qiao nodded. She stretched out her arms as she telekinetically pulled out large piles of snow from beneath them. Mega nodded back before running towards the army of monsters with his sword glittering with electric light.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shinichi and Mizore continued to walk around the village with the girl showing him more of the sights and attractions the town had to offer. He really did enjoy taking in the sights. After all, how often did people get to see a village made out of nothing but ice and snow? Of course, that was just it. That was mostly the reason why he decided to ask Mizore a question.

"Mizore-san, can I ask you something?" Shinichi asked.

"Anything," she replied.

"Are you a yuki-onna?" Mizore went stiff and looked at him in surprise.

"How did you know...?"

He held up one finger, "Your village is mostly populated by women, although that doesn't suggest you're a yuki-onna, but that just means that male birth rates are low and that you may require outsider males to help repopulate." He held up a second finger, "Your buildings are made out of ice and while it is possible for humans to create buildings out of ice, they aren't built by stacking up blocks of ice. Rather, you create them using your own ability to create ice." He held up a third finger, "And finally, your body heat is lower than an average human's and yet you appear healthy." He closed his fist and asked to confirm, "Am I correct?"

Mizore blinked and then she nodded to confirm.

"I see..." Shinichi nodded. "You know, including your mother, this is the second time I've met another yuki-onna. Nice to meet you."

Mizore was surprised. He didn't seem scared when he learnt that she was a yuki-onna. "...Aren't you afraid of me?"

"I know the legend but I've been shown that legends don't share all the right details," he replied, recalling Kurumu and Moka. The myths and legends about succubi and vampires were riddled with inaccuracies so the myth and legends surrounding yuki-onna should be the same. "And besides, I'm a pretty open-minded person. You can blame my guardian for that." When you live with cat with a man's head, a butler with a dog's head, and the menagerie of creatures that called Fran's estate home, there was little that could surprise Shinichi.

"So, if you know, will you leave or will you stay?" she asked hopefully.

"I can't stay," he told her honestly, "But that's not because you're a yuki-onna."

"It's not a problem if you're human. We can help you adapt and..."

"I don't know what I am," he interrupted her. Mizore paused.

Confused, she replied, "How can you not know what you are? Everyone knows what they are."

"I don't remember my past, that's why," he told her. "I don't know what I am, I don't know who I was. Until I can answer the questions about my identity, I don't think I can just settle down anywhere or with anyone." He suddenly jerked his head up as his antenna hair started to twitch, "Oh no."

"What? What is it?" Mizore asked.

"Danger," he hissed. "Stay right here. I'll be back." He ran off in a dash to see what the problem was, but due to being low on Battle Chips, he wasn't sure what he could do if it was in fact trouble, but at the moment he really didn't care.

* * *

**(Insert song - Ouch - Red vs Blue)**

"**Final Download!"**

"HI-YAA!" Mega roared as his fist became engulfed in binary codes. He leapt forward and smashed his fist onto an incoming Horror. Its jaw actually snapped from the force before it was sent flying back. He picked up his sword and rolled underneath another Horror, slicing its midsection as he did so. Looking around, he saw more of the demons approaching closer. "Aw man... where the hell did they come from?!"

"Who knows, but don't let up!" Qiao shouted as she telekinetically threw giant snowballs at the monsters, causing them to scatter. She continued the assault by forming a ball of light in her hands and threw them at the beasts. Once they struck, the balls exploded in a bright flash of light, instantly obliterating any of the the demons in the blast range.

"At least that dwindled the numbers down! Thanks Qiao-chan!" He stabbed his sword into the sword and clasped his hands onto his sides. "I guess I should fight with fire. Access: Shishi!"

"**Inferno Leo!"**

His belt flooded with bright red energy as he shifted to his Inferno Leo form. He took back his sword as the color on the circuitry patterns shifted from blue to red. The blade of his sword blazed with fire as he swung it down, sending a spinning blade of fire. It ripped through the air and collided with more of the Horrors. The Horrors screeched as the all burned from the hit and vanished into a pile of crust crisp. "Much better!"

Few of the Horrors opened their mouths and shout out blasts of dark crimson energy. In response, Mega swung his arm and brought up a wall of fire. The snow melted from the heat, though only slightly due to the cold temperatures. The wall of fire blocked the energy blasts, ripples forming on the walls. Mega held out his hand and wordlessly commanded the wall of fire to send out waves of flames out on the Horrors. The all screeched and roared as the flames tore through their bodies.

"Scorched!" Mega smiled.

"Looks like he's handling himself just fine," Fran smiled as she watched Mega continue to burn up the masses of Horrors. "His cybernetics must be top notch."

"Should you really be concerned about body parts at a time like this?" Kurumu scowled, glaring up at the stitched up mad scientist.

"It helps to be observant," Fran shrugged guiltlessly.

"You're not going to try and open him up again, are you?" Qiao frowned as she looked over her shoulder. Her eyes slowly shifted on the subdued Horror behind Fran as the monster slowly stood up on all fours and stalked towards the unaware girls with its jaws opening wide. "Oh, no you don't!" Qiao growled as she twisted around and shot a beam of solar energy past her friends and straight on the Horror. The monster roared in agony from the intense beam of light before it disappeared into dust.

"What the?!" Kurumu gasped as she saw the black soot where the Horror once was. "Whoa, thanks for the save!"

"Don't mention it," the fox grinned, specks of solar energy swirling around her fingers. She turned back to the fight and began shooting beams of solar energy wildly. Some got vaporized, while others managed to shrug it off and keep going, "Seems like whatever they are, they can't handle light too well."

"Glad they at least have some form of weakness," Fran nodded.

Moka, who was in a thinking stage with both her hands on her head, exclaimed out loud as she made an epiphany, "Now I know what they are! They're Horrors!"

"Horrors?" Kurumu asked her.

"Mindless demons with unbelievable power! They only live to kill and destroy!" Moka answered, trembling as she now knew what they were up against. "Father fought the Horrors before. He told me how they almost destroyed our realm and attacked anyone they saw!"

"These things are strong enough to match vampires too?" Qiao asked, astonished. She was still blasting away at any of the oncoming Horrors that came in her line of sight.

"For the most part yes!" Moka nodded.

"Oh, how wonderful," Kurumu depended with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

**(End song)**

"Everyone! You're OK!" the girls all turned to the sound of the voice and smiled happily. There was Shinichi, running up to them and waving.

"Shinichi-kun, catch!" Moka shouted as she threw the Battle Chip to Shinichi. He caught it and smiled as it was his Transformation Battle Chip.

"Arigato, Moka-san!" he said to her before he slotted it into his Battle Driver.

**"Standby! OK?"**

"Henshin!" Shinichi commanded.

"**Change! OK! Complete: Dusk!"**

**(Insert song - Revelation Suite - Red vs Blue)**

The cocoon appeared around his body and formed the armor of dusk. It shattered quickly and his eyes flashed brightly. "And two more!" Dusk slotted two Battle Chips swiftly into his Driver.

"**Blaster On! OK! Duskalibur On! OK**!"

Once the Duskalibur materialized, Dusk slashed the air and fired a blade of blue fire at the oncoming Horrors. They were immolated instantly by the blue flames. He raised his blaster-equipped arm and rapidly fired a barrage of energy bullets.

"I knew playing all those FPS's would pay off!" Dusk cheered. "Crap, Moka!" He rushed towards her and clubbed the Horrors away with his blaster. "Moka-san, are you OK?"

"Now that I know you are," she smiled softly as she hugged him.

"Hugs later. Right now we need the kickass version of you," he told her as he tucked his sword under arm then pulled off her seal. In a burst of red aura, the silver-haired and red-eyed Inner Moka stood in her place. He then offered his sword, "Here, take my sword."

"You presume I require a weapon?" she demanded.

"I presume that even your kicks won't have much of an effect on them," he countered. "The blade is set to burn anything it cuts. Swing for the kill."

"Very well," she accepted the sword. Seeing a Horror lunge behind her, Dusk aimed his blaster over her shoulder and fired, the noise from the weapon ringing in her ears.

"Sorry," he apologized.

Inner Moka frowned as the ringing from her ears went down, "Don't do that again. And I was well aware of what was happening behind me."

"Call it a reflex," Dusk frowned, slumping his shoulders.

"Hn," Inner Moka scoffed before turning her attention to the battle. She dashed forward as another Horror charged at her, she brought up the Duskalibur and and slashed its head clean off just as she went past it. The blade's fire cauterized the stump as the head went flying before the Horror vanished completely.

"**Lance On! OK!**" The Spiral Lance materialized and spun like a drill. Dusk then charged forward and thrust with his weapon, running a Horror through. Blood went spilling out as the Horror roared before falling down into the snow. It disappeared soon after that.

Mega shoot a swarm of fire balls at more oncoming Horrors before smiling at Dusk behind him. "Glad to have you back! What took you so long?"

"I'll tell you later, but right now we got to wipe out these freaks!" shouted Dusk.

"They're called Horrors!"

"That was my first guess!" Dusk stabbed his lance into the snow and whipped out his Charging Overdrive Chip. "Here we go!" He swiftly activated it.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

He took aim and his Blaster Cannon glowed as it started to charge up. "HAH!" he yelled as he fired a barrage of energy spheres which exploded when they hit the Horrors. He then raised his lance and thrust forward, creating a tangible beam of energy. The beam skewered several Horrors in its path then destroyed them as they exploded. The blaster and lance vanished soon after.

**(End song)**

"Looks like we got all of them," remarked Mega as Dusk looked around. "What?"

"Not just yet," he said as he spotted a figure coming towards them. It was the same naked women he had chased the night before. "Her."

**(Insert song - Ice Battle - Red vs Blue)**

"Another Horror?" Mega asked and Shinichi nodded. The woman grinned maliciously then let out a shriek as her jaw split open four ways. Her body soon turned into ice and then turned into armor with sharpened edges on the sides. Said armor was rather scandalous as it covered only her breasts, genitals, arms, and legs. The face remained beautiful but with three eyes and had two thin, segmented tails made of ice hanging from its head that ended with spikes. With another shriek, the Ice Horror twirl its body and sent its two tails lashed out at both armored teens. The attack came so fast that both Mega and Dusk were knocked into the snow which cushioned their fall.

"So, this is the big boss, huh?" Mega grunted, getting back to her feet.

"Definitely much stronger than the others," Dusk added as picked himself up from the ground. "Watch out."

The Horror snapped her fingers and spikes made of ice appeared on either side of her. With another wave of her hands she sent the spikes flying at both armored teens. Suddenly, a thick wall of ice shot out of the ground between them and the flying ice spikes, shielding them.

"Ice?" Mega gaped and then Dusk heard a voice.

"Do not hurt him..." It was chilling yet familiar.

"Mizore-san," Dusk exhaled, turning around to see her walking up behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I followed you," was Mizore's short answer. "You're in trouble, so I'll help you."

"But this Horror is much stronger than the rest we fought before," Dusk protested. "It even has control over ice. You sure about this?"

"Then I'll support you," her hair suddenly hardened into ice as menacing ice claws formed on her hands, "Fair enough?"

Dusk looked to the girl, her determined expression, and then gave a nod, "Just be careful, OK?" Mizore blushed, the color reaching her pale cheeks, touched by his concern. She mentally made the ice wall exploded and sent shards flying towards the Ice Horror, pelting her with pieces of it. Mega and Dusk then rushed in, prepared to attack.

"**Pincer On! OK!"**

"Take this!" Dusk punched the Ice Horror in the face with his Pincer Claw as Mega followed up with a slash of his burning sword to the chest. The Ice Horror roared as it was pushed backwards from the hit, and retaliated with a blast of blizzard from its mouth. Mega jumped in front and spun his sword in front of him, so fast that it formed into a ring of fire. The blizzard made contact and melted the snow instantly. While it didn't do much of anything, it proved to me a good distraction as the Ice Horror rushed in with blades of ice appearing out of its forearms. She clashed blades with Mega, sparks flying with every blow. Mega ducked and jumped from each of the swings, while the Ice Horror was no slouch as it managed to keep up, even swerving away from the flames of his fists.

Dusk lent an assist by kicking the Ice Horror in the back before blasting it point blank with the Pincer Claw. He then followed up with several kicks before flipping backwards and smashing his heels into the Ice Horror's jaw. Inner Moka came rushing in from the side and slashed the Ice Horror's torso twice before kicking its midsection. The Horror skid back shortly before flipping forward and lashing out its tail. She held up the Duskalibur to block head on, only to find herself being pushed backwards as the Horror spin against the energy sword. She gritted her fangs tight as she dug her feet into the snow to slow down the recoil speed. Quickly and sharply, she shoved forward to knock the Horror of its feet. It rolled back onto its knees and ejected ice blades from its hands and flung them at the vampire with deadly accuracy.

**"Soundwave On! OK!"**

The intense sonic waves stopped the ice blades in their flight path before shattering them. "Don't think so, _biatch!"_ Dusk shouted. The Ice Horror snarled and lunged for Dusk only for multiple arms to sprout of the snow. The arms were attached to figures made of ice which resembled Mizore.

"Mizore-san?" Dusk turned to see said girl in the distance, smiling at him. "Arigato!" Mizore's ice clones restrained the Ice Horror, preventing it from dodging the next attack as he slotted in his final Battle Chip for the battle.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

"Hyah!" Dusk punched the Ice Horror so hard with his energized Pincer Claw that cracks spread all over its body. "Netto, now!"

"OK!" Mega nodded as he tapped on his core.

"**Final Download!"**

His Photon Debugger glowed brightly in flames as he raised it up into the air. The blade lengthened into seemingly impossible lengths as it turned into a large blade of fire. The clones, seeing this, broke apart and disappeared into the snow. Even ice clones didn't like the scorching heat. The Ice Horror looked around in surprise before it noticed the large flaming blade in the air.

"Now... de-rezz!" Mega shouted as he swung the sword down and smashed it onto the Ice Horror with great force. The snow blasted upward into a mist from the impact, causing the group to shield their eyes as the white powder blasted into their faces. The snow died down just as quickly as it came, allowing them to see a large, steaming stream of water. A stream of water that could very well be used to take a hot bath. With the Horror gone, Mega sighed as he rolled his shoulders before "rebooting" his armor.

**(Song end)**

"Well... that was something," remarked Kurumu. Dusk dismissed his armor and returned the rosario to Inner Moka.

"Don't you ever worry my other self again," she warned before snapping the seal back on. When Outer Moka took her place, she opened her eyes and smiled at him, a look of relief on her face. She then took out a pair of glasses and walked up to him.

"Shinichi-kun..." Moka uttered tenderly as she put his glasses back on, her fingers gently caressing his face. "I'm glad you're OK."

"Thanks, Moka-san," he said gratefully as he adjusted his glasses. Now he felt whole. He almost felt naked without them. "So, how did you guys find me?"

"Fran-san helped," Qiao offered.

"Oh, because of the chip she put inside of me," Shinichi realized. Everyone gawked in response.

"You knew!?" Kurumu and Moka exclaimed.

"It's my body and it's not something I could've ignored. I felt something under my skin and I knew it had to be a chip. The spot kinda itches from time to time," he reasoned.

"I never thought you'd find it," Fran commented.

"You kinda made it obvious that you would do something like that," he told his guardian. "I am your charge. It makes sense you would want a way to track me down or look out for me, unconventional as it may be."

"Hello," Mizore greeted as she strode over and stood next to Shinichi. She studied everyone, her eyes on Kurumu and Moka as they seemed very close to Shinichi. She didn't regard Qiao or Fran as a threat, though.

"Oh, who's this?" Qiao asked.

Shinichi introduced, "Minna-san, this is Mizore Shirayuki-san. She helped me when I was hurt and she's also-"

"His wife," Mizore finished.

Suddenly, everyone went silent. It was so silent you could almost hear a pin-drop in the distance. It was so silent that Shinichi could actually _hear _the awkwardness. Finally, someone yelled.

"**EEEEEEHHHHHHH!?"**

"...Uh, say that again?" Netto asked carefully.

"You dog~," Qiao grinned foxily, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ara, congratulations, Shinichi," Fran praised, clapping her hands. "I'm so happy for you. Though, I'm upset that you didn't invite me to the wedding."

"Mizore-san, what do you mean you're my wife!?" Shinichi exclaimed.

"Shinichi-kun..." Moka's smile was scary as a red aura surrounded her.

"What were you doing while we were worried sick...?" added Kurumu as a menacing aura surrounded her, her own smile matching Moka's.

"Girls, it's just a misunderstanding!" insisted Shinichi as Mizore possessively hugged his arm.

"Mine," she claimed.

"You're not really helping matters!"

"Wait, Shirayuki?" Netto blinked. "Are you related to the resort owner?"

"She's my mother," Mizore answered.

"I see the resemblance." He asked, "So, why are you calling Shinichi your husband?"

"I am a yuki-onna and any man a yuki-onna claims becomes their husband. It is tradition," she explained.

"I would like to get to know you better first and it's too early to talk about marriage," Shinichi argued. Mizore's grip on his arm tightened.

"Don't you like me?" she asked him. How was he supposed to answer that!? There was Moka and Kurumu glowering and there was Mizore expecting an answer expectantly. With a trio of cute yet dangerous monster girls staring at him expectedly, there seemed to be only one thing for him to do.

"Uh...uh...WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!? IS THAT A YETI!?" Shinichi suddenly screamed as he pointed at a random direction. Mizore, who knew the trouble yeti could cause turned to his direction in an instant, with Moka and Kurumu instinctively following her gaze. He swiftly extricated himself from Mizore's grip and ran in the opposite direction. "See you guys at the lodge~!" he shouted as he ran for his life, the snow kicking up in a dust trail behind him.

"Shinichi-kun~!"

"Shinichi!"

"Anata...~!"

"Wow, when he wants to run he can _really _run," admired Qiao in awe at the speed Shinichi was going to cross the distance as his admires raced after him.

"Enhanced leg muscles and stamina," Fran explained. "They really do the trick when running from lovestruck women," she sighed dreamyly as she tilted her head, "Ah, to be young and in love..." A sound caught their attention and Netto saw a snowmobile driving towards them. It then stopped in front of them and the rider lifted up her goggles.

"What are you all doing out here?" demanded Tsurara Shirayuki. "You all shouldn't be here."

"We were out looking for someone, Shirayuki-san. What brings you out here?" Fran answered.

"I was told my daughter had found a man and came to see if it were true," answered Tsurara.

"She did," Netto confirmed. "Right now she's chasing him all the way over there."

"Oh, is she?" she asked as she looked where Netto was pointing. She smiled as she found her daughter with two other girls chasing after the boy, "Ah, so she is. And a good thing too, I was worried she wouldn't be able to find someone. Though I'm surprised that it's one of the students I'm supposed to look after."

"Well, sometimes good things just fall right in front of you," Qiao remarked.

"So true," Tsurara smiled fondly. "Of course, you and the rest of the class will have to return to the city soon. No doubt Mizore will be saddened. But it's no problem. I have a solution for that."

"Oh? And what would that be?" Fran asked curiously.

Tsurara giggled mischievously, "It's a surprise." Netto could only sigh in exasperation. He knew where this was going.

* * *

It was already a week after the ski trip and the class of Biteru-sensei had already begun to prepare for final examinations. Already the students were starting to revise their notes for everything they learned during the term to get ready for the exams. As expected, Biteru-sensei's class had the most difficult time to prepare due to the grim teacher's methods of teaching. They really wanted to forget all of her dark and gritty lectures, but the examinations wouldn't let them. The rest of the staff really pitied them for being stuck with such a teacher who saw it as her duty to break the students that were unlucky enough to end up in her class, and wouldn't blame them if the wound up failing the exams. If they were in Biteru-sensei's class, they might fail on purpose themselves.

Shinichi's mind wasn't on the upcoming exams though. He was still thinking about Mizore, the cute yuki-onna he had met. She seemed like a nice girl, but also a bit lonely to say the least. He kinda missed her. However, she wasn't here and he would need to move on. He would never forget her and she would always remain as one of his good friends with a special place in his heart. As he was busy reminiscing about their meeting, Biteru-sensei yet again appeared out from behind the podium with an announcement.

"Well, well, class. Although final exams are just around the corner, it appears we have another student transferring into our class," Biteru-sensei said.

"Another transfer?" Takeru blinked, "We seem to be getting a lot of those lately, huh?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was the work of the powers that be," Saji added.

On que, a very pretty girl walked through the door and stood before the class. The girl wore a white sweatshirt with navy blue sleeves that was so loose it exposed the straps of a black tank top she wore underneath and the standard uniform skirt, plus striped thigh-high stockings. She seemed to have a lollipop in her mouth. Shinichi, Moka, Kurumu, Netto and Qiao all gawked as they recognized her.

"Introduce yourself to the class then find a seat," Biteru-sensei ordered.

"My name is Mizore Shirayuki," the oddly dressed girl introduced herself. She then amended herself, "Actually, you should call me Mizore Sanban because I am Shinichi's wife."

**WHAM!**

Shinichi's forehead met with his desk as he facefaulted. "This is just going to be a vicious cycle, isn't it?" he muttered on his desk. He could feel all the murderous glares from his envious classmates aimed at him. Why the hell did he have the luck with women? What was it about him that girls found irresistible? Whatever it was, they were going to find out, one way or another.

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: And thus, Mizore joins Shinichi's harem. Definitely much different from the way she was brought in before, isn't it? Anyway, this arc is just about finished. Stay tune for more!**


	9. Aoi Tatsu

"Wake up, boy!" a loud voice yelled from outside his room.

He sat up slowly and tried to ignore the screaming in his arms and legs. Groaning, he glanced at his watch. It was 4 in the morning and already he was to have more punishment for some unknown cause.

"I said wake up!" the voice yelled again, louder this time.

"I-I'm coming!" he shouted in a strained voice. Already he knew by the end of this day he wouldn't be able to speak loudly. He he slowly got up from his bed and went down the hall. It reeked of disinfectants, the fumes already invading his nostrils. It didn't bother him much though. The bruises hurt too much for him to care about the smell. As he made his way to the steps, he suddenly found himself shoved forward and tumbling down the stairs. He rolled down the stairs, painful grunts echoing his throat. After what seemed like forever, he slammed against the wall with his elbow smashing a window. His vision was a blur and his mind was dazed. The glass shards breaking into his skin and letting the blood run down wasn't helping matters either. Still he managed to adjust himself properly as a darkened figure marched down the steps. "Where were you when I called the last ten times!?"

"You... only called twice..." he stuttered, his brain still loopy.

"Are you talking back at me?!"

"N-no!" he flinched. "I didn't mean t-"

"Shut up!" the figure spat, slapping him across the face. He cried out as the palm stung his cheek and left a red mark. "I thought I told you take out the garbage before you went to bed!"

"I did!" he exclaimed. He gulped as the glare from the figure locked on to him, "I-I did," he whimpered.

"Then why is there garbage all over the living room?" the figure demanded, pointing behind her. His eyes turned to the pile of trash that was all over the carpet and chairs. It all looked like it was just spreaded there just moments ago. As far as he knew, there wasn't anyone to visit them.

"But- but... that's the garbage I took out..." he protested meekly.

"And yet, it here it is," the figure growled. "Now clean up this mess before I give you another wiping. I already have to pay for another broken window thanks to you."

"Hai... grandma..." he nodded weakly.

It was like this for a long time now. His grandmother, his caretaker, has been harassing him ever since he came here. She was always slapping him around, giving him no days of rest. Not one day of rest for the hurt in this house. It was torment. She would always spit in his face and tell him outright that he should've never been born.

Every.

Single.

Day.

If she wasn't humiliating him, she was neglecting him. It didn't seem like anyone would help him. His grandfather was of no help, since he was pulled out of retirement years ago and was out of the house almost everyday. He had no idea what was going on, and whenever he did come by during the few days, his grandmother would make him stay silent about it, lest he get another punishment.

Why did she hate him so much? What did he ever do? He would never know. The one time he did ask, she slapped him so hard that he bit his tongue and blood spat out his face. And her answer that question was, "As if you didn't know, you satanic bastard!"

So he did end up picking up all the trash in the living room and dumped them back outside to the sidewalk. It was already a quarter to 5 as he crawled up back to his room. New bruises were already forming on his arms and legs, putting more discoloration on his skin. The bleeding on his elbow hadn't even stopped. He sighed as he leaned against his bed, letting out a soft, sighing sob. Reaching for his bookbag, he pulled out a folded newspaper, and opened it up. There on the front page was a photo of a midnight blue armored figure armed with a pincer fighting some kind of monster.

"I bet he wouldn't want to live like this," he muttered to himself. "With power like his, why would he?"

* * *

**Opening Theme: This Will Be the Day by Jeff Williams and Casey Lee Williams**

**Episode 9: ****Aoi Tatsu**

* * *

Just like clockwork, the day of the final exams were upon the students of Ryoukai High. The once lively and bustling hallways of students went silent, only the faint sounds of pencils running on papers filling the air. Shinichi and his friends were among those writing down their exams. At least the official term papers didn't have anything grim, dark, or whatever was connected to something totally negative. Biteru-sensei thankfully didn't have control over that, and even more thankfully she was replaced by another random teacher to observe the class. This served students like Saji and Takeru just fine as they really couldn't stand another moment in class with the old hag.

Speaking of Saji and Takeru, both Saji and Takeru asked Shinichi why he never told them that he used to be homeless after the ski trip. He told them that it wasn't a time he cared to remember or talk about. It was also in the past and it wasn't anything important to think about as he was no longer homeless or alone. It was a fair enough answer. How many people would want to remember being homeless anyway? It was one of the worst things that could happen to a person and not everyone was lucky enough to get out of such a predicament. Shinichi was simply glad that he had people who he could call friends.

"Pencils down," the teacher instructed as the exam was over. "Now, turn in your papers."

"Finally!" Takeru exclaimed in elation as he gladly handed in his paper. "No more! No more!" His brain was hurting.

"Oh, quit yer whining, ya big baby," scoffed Saji. "Ain't the end of the world."

"But for Takeru it might as well be if he doesn't pass," countered Shinichi before he said the dreaded words, "_Summer school_."

"Gah! No! Don't say that! Blasphemy! Blasphemy!" Takeru yelled, clamping his ears and shaking his head in denial.

"Geez, Takeru. You really need to learn to relax," Netto advised.

"I will once summer breaks starts! I don't care what anyone says! Summer break is for vacation, not school!" Takeru shot back.

"We're still students and so we still have summer homework," Shinichi reminded.

"Gah! Don't remind me!" Takeru complained.

"Shinichi-kun," Moka went up to Shinichi's desk. "How do you think you did?"

"I've got good feelings," Shinichi replied.

"I'm not sure how I did," Kurumu admitted sheepishly.

"Kurumu-chan, I think you'll do fine. We did spend all that time together studying," Shinichi reminded, reassuring the bluenette.

"Yeah, we did," Kurumu blushed. The problem was that Kurumu lacked focus and motivation in academics. Fortunately, Shinichi could help with that.

"Either way, I'm just glad its all over," Qiao said, stretching her arms up.

"Shinichi," Mizore called and Shinichi smiled, inwardly glad that Mizore had stopped calling him 'anata' after the first week of her enrollment. He kept getting odd looks and some people kept congratulating him on his marriage. There was no marriage. That was just Mizore's delusion reinforced by her mother. Although with how she was with him lately, they might as well be married. Considering that the yuki-onna need men to continue surviving, it made sense.

"Mizore," Shinichi greeted back. His new admirer glided elegantly towards him and smiled softly.

"Shall we go home?" Mizore asked, causing Moka and Kurumu to glare venomously at the yuki-onna. When she had been transferred to their school, all the dorm rooms had already been taken so that left her with no place to stay. Fortunately, Tsurara managed to make arrangements with Fran resulting in Mizore staying in the Madaraki Manor with Shinichi. That meant that the new girl would be spending a lot more time with their crush, and it didn't help that she would scrub his back in the tub whenever the chance presented itself, something that Shinichi prefered to keep hidden. That did not sit well with Moka and Kurumu.

"Dude, sometimes I just fucking hate you," Takeru muttered. He didn't really mean it. He was just jealous that all these babes were digging Shinichi. It just wasn't fair.

"Yeah, but we just finished finals so we should celebrate," suggested Shinichi.

Kurumu brightened and cheered, "Yeah! Party!"

"Oh, there's something I almost forgot," said Shinichi as he took a flyer out of his bag and showed it to his friends. "The next annual Gunpla Competition is coming up tomorrow. I was hoping if you all could come."

"You want us to go?" Takeru asked. It looked a bit like a geek fest but he didn't have any plans for tomorrow besides sleeping in.

"Yeah, because I think it might be fun," Shinichi replied. He really did like Gunpla and he wanted to see all those Gunpla that the competitors would be showcasing at the competition.

"Sounds good," Netto nodded, "I'll come."

"Me too," Qiao nodded.

"You entered, didn't you?" Saji questioned, already knowing the answer. Shinichi loved Gunpla and there was no way he wouldn't participate in such an event.

"Yeah, I did," Shinichi admitted.

"Well, at least we'll be able to see what you can do. You did never invite us over to see your collection," Saji commented.

"But Shinichi-kun, how could you build Gunpla in the middle of studying?" Moka asked.

"Studying? Moka, I finished my entry weeks ago. Way before we started studying for finals. All I gotta do is put in the finishing touches," Shinichi told her. He had kept in his workshop in Fran's mansion, which was one of the labs that she wasn't making much use of. It would be better if there wasn't the constant smell of medicine and body parts.

* * *

The Man in Black was a very patient man. Being a scientist, he had to be patient whenever during testing and observations. A day such as today was no exception. Deep in his laboratory, he typed on his keyboard as as data scans filled his screen. And on the screens were scores of unidentifiable glyphs, continuously moving up the screens as he typed. He hit the Enter key in a quick succession. In an instant, there was a small beep that sounded in the room. The center rose up, accompanied by a hiss of cold steam. Rising up from his chair, the Man in Black walked over to the podium and peered inside. As the steam cleared, a new batch of Freak Chips were seen, the live wires squealing about.

"Excellent," the Man in Black smiled, picking one of the chips in his fingers. "This new batch of chips will do just fine." There was a small noise at the other end of the room, and was followed by a door hissing opened. Stepping into the room was a tall man, his face tanned and his silver hair neatly combed backwards, a single ahoge drooping on the left side of his face, and his eyes in a dark brown color. He was garbed in some sort of onyx colored armor, with white lines trimmed across his sharply broad shoulder pads, collarbone, wrists and waist. The chest area mimicked that of a chest and abs. The bottom portion of his armor seemed to resemble a Javanese male sarong, only with blades sewn into the lining.

"Are the newest set a Freak Chips ready for deployment, Dr. Frankenstein?" the man in the armor asked.

"Lord Zero," the Man in Black, now identified as Dr. Frankenstein, answered with a bow. "Yes, the new set of Freak Chips are complete and ready for use."

"That's good... however," Zero frowned as he walked into the room. "We cannot continue to waste each of the Freak Chips we have in our possession. We may have many, but we must remember our goal. Why have you not recaptured Dusk? He has already derailed us in a matter of months, and now he has allies working with him."

"He may have gained himself allies to counter us, but with his apparent memory lose our vital secrets will not be leaked. And the group he has around him also count as fascinating specimens," Frankenstein countered. As he was talking, he walked back to his workspace and toggled the keyboard. At the command, several images of Inner Moka, as well as Kurumu, Qiao, Usha, and Kiko, all in their true forms, appeared in the screen. There was also a few pictures of Mega. "A vampire, a fox spirit, an elf, and a pair of succubi; all monsters from different myths and each with their own strength and weaknesses. It is a rare opportunity to study such beings. Not to mention this new 'Mega' being is also with Dusk. Think of how much more information we can gain."

"Don't spend too much time on gathering information ," Zero reprimanded, "We have have a job to do, you know that. Our success depends on finding the Overlords. And so far, we haven't gotten close to our objective, have we?"

Frankenstein frowned, "No, we have not."

"Then you know what needs to be done," Zero ordered. "Waste no more time."

"Understood, sir," Frankenstein obeyed. Without another word, Zero vanished in a blink of light.

* * *

**(Insert song - YY GYGY - Hyperdimension Neptunia the Animation)**

The convention centre was packed as it hosted the Gunpla Competition. It was an annual event where Gunpla Builders, both of amateur and professional level could showcase their skill. Not only did they build models but also dioramas that could bring their models to life. The judges would study each entry and then give them their scores based on creativity, realism and workmanship. Shinichi had been looking forward to this event and had even sent in an entry form. Now was the day he would show what he could do.

"And here we go," Shinichi said as he set his entry onto the spot which was reserved for him.

"Shinichi-kun, it's magnificent," Moka admired.

"Thanks, Moka-san," Shinichi accepted. His diorama simulated two Gunpla fighting in the middle of space. He paid good attention to detail, even adding in some fighter ships. The background took some work to get right as he had painstakingly painted each star and planet so that it would look as authentic as possible. The two Gunpla, a Strike Gundam in its default color scheme and Wing Gundam that was painted black and red were in the middle of a beam saber fight. Some damage was also detailed into both Gunpla.

"He put in the final details the night before," Mizore said. Moka frowned. Mizore was living with Shinichi, in the same house, and the yuki-onna would remind the girls of it whenever she could. It irritated both Kurumu and Moka to know a girl had gotten so close after just meeting him. Shinichi had helped Mizore to get used to living in the estate. Veronica hadn't been pleased about a new 'freeloader' coming to stay but Fran told her little sister to treat Mizore like a guest. Mizore also offered to help around the house. While surprised by the other bizarre residents, she got used to their unusual appearance quite smoothly. She also got along well with Adorea. It must've been due to the both of them being cute silent types.

"Well, here's hoping I get some kind of prize," Shinichi said. This was his first ever Gunpla competition and he was hoping his efforts would be recognized at least. He wasn't expecting much, an honorable mention at least. "Thank you guys for coming with me."

"Don't mention it," Netto nodded, smiling. Alongside him was Qiao, Kiko and Usha. Netto invited the two sempai along for the show seeing as they finally had an opportunity to rest after the examinations were done. Kiko seemed to admire the all the displays around her. Usha, however, seemed to look at it all as a waste of time from the look on her face.

"When you told me we were going to do something fun today, Netto, I didn't expect you to bring me to an exhibition of _toys_," Usha frowned.

"It's fun when you see it from a certain point of view. Think of it as another form of art, only it's an expo rather than a museum," Kiko persuaded.

"Art? What could be artistic about people putting together figures from a toy line? They are acting like children," Usha retorted, folding her arms under her chest.

"Don't insult their efforts," Shinichi scowled. "These models and diorama are built by people who love the franchise and they want to show off how much they love it. They put their feelings, time, and sweat into getting every last detail right. You might see toys, but what I see are pieces of history from one of the greatest anime franchises of all time. I'll forgive you for insulting them since I know this isn't your thing, but please don't do it again."

Usha blinked and rose her eyebrows, "You... really feel passionately about this, don't you?"

"It's the one thing that makes me feel normal," he replied. "And it's helps that I got good hand-eye coordination." His eyes were capable of magnifying images so he used that so he could do the detailing perfectly. They then sparkled as he ranted, "But Mobile Suit Gundam is awesome, isn't it? I mean they have GIANT robots! Giant robots that fire lasers and have beam sabers and they fly in space and..." He inhaled and calmed down. "Sorry. Sorry. Was I geeking out again?"

"You tend to do that a lot," Netto smiled.

"So, what do we do now?" Kurumu asked as she looked around. This wasn't exactly a familiar scene for her and she noticed some of the guys staring at her.

"Basically look around and look at the various dioramas. There's also a resting area if you wanna sit down for a drink or get some snacks. Oh, and they're also selling MS Gundam merchandise around here," Shinichi said. It sounded like he had been really looking forward to this.

"You know when he geeks out like this, it's kinda adorable," Saji remarked. "Like a kid in a toy store."

"Yeah, and at least we've got hot babes to hang with," added Takeru.

"Ah, senpai-tachi, you're here?" Shinichi turned around at voice. He knew only one person who called him, Saji and Takeru by that. Slowly, if shyly, a young boy walked out of one of the diorama. He was of middle school age, so he looked younger and shorter than Shinichi and his friends. He had messy black hair, and blue eyes that were behind rounded spectacles. His clothing... made him stand out. He was in a dusty gray long sleeve shirt with brown baggy pants. His face looked rather pale, likely due to malnutrition. Latched on to his arm loosely was a backpack.

"Aoi-kun? Is that you?" Shinichi asked with a smile. He went up to the middle school boy and ruffled his already messy hair, "Long time no see, little man!"

"You too, Shinichi-sempai," Aoi returned softly, dusting off his hair. "So, you came to watch the competition?"

"Watch? I entered," Shinichi grinned. "How about you?"

"I did this," Aoi pointed at the display that he was just hiding behind.

"Wow, Aoi-kun. That's really good," Shinichi admired his young friend's diorama. It was wonderfully made, though a bit macabre. It depicted a dark Gunpla Graveyard with various mobile suit parts sticking out of the ground and a lone Zeta Gundam standing over their remains. Well, kneeling would be the better term, that and its left arm appeared to be blown off. "But it's a bit depressing, don't ya think?"

"I felt inspired," Aoi replied, shrugging.

Qiao examined the diorama. Even if she wasn't an expert, she knew that art was a reflection of the artist and their art was often inspired by influences around them. This diorama, while amazingly crafted, reflected a soul that was on the brink of despair, with a life filled with sorrow, and only expecting death at the end. She looked at Aoi as he was talking with Shinichi, Saji and Takeru, apparently catching up on old times. He was smiling and yet his smile seemed forced.

"Guys, I want you to meet Aoi Tatsu," Shinichi introduced the boy to his friends. "Aoi-kun, you've met Saji-san and Takeru. These are some of my newer friends."

"Hey dude," Netto waved, "I'm Netto. And this Qiao."

"_Nihao!"_ Qiao smiled.

"I'm Moka Akashiya," the pinkette introduce herself sweetly. "And that's Kurumu and Mizore."

"Sup!" Kurumu grinned.

"Hello," Mizore nodded curtly.

"My name is Kiko Kirishima. It's a pleasure," the blonde winked teasingly.

"Usha," the goth simply said.

"It's... a pleasure to meet you all," Aoi greeted shyly, bowing tensely.

"So, Zeta Gundam huh?" Netto remarked as he looked at Aoi's display. "I've watched some Gundam episodes myself ya know. Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was considered the bleakest Gundam series ever made..."

"It is," Aoi nodded in agreement, "But in the end, that's pretty much how it is. People fight, then they die. That's how the world works, right?" Netto flinched at how blunt the younger boys answer was. That was grim, and he spent the last months in Biteru-sensei's class so that said something.

"At least Gundam ZZ helped to lighten things up after the way Zeta Gundam ended!" Takeru said quickly, trying to light the mood.

"Yeah, I suppose it did help," Aoi shrugged.

"Um, how did you meet Shinichi, Aoi-kun?" Kurumu asked curiously, changing the conversation.

"Well... it was a few months ago," Aoi mused, recalling the day.

**(End song)**

* * *

_Aoi cried out in pain as he was slammed into the wall of an ally. Groaning, he looked up slowly as a pack of jocks grinning like wolves as the looked down at him. They were really enjoying themselves in kicking around a defenceless 14 year old kid. _

"_Look at what we got here, boys," the lead jock in the center said as he carelessly fumbled with a box. It was a Gundam Model Kit for the MS-18E Kampfer. Pieces of the kit could be heard bumping against each other inside the box. "Four-eyes here got himself a toy to play with! Ain't you a little too old to be playing with toys, four eyes?" _

"_Give that back!" Aoi pleaded, trying to reach for box. "It's mine!" _

_**WHAM!**_

_Aoi's vision went blurry as one of the jocks' boot smashed his face. His glasses got cracked and blood went flying from his nose and on to the ground. The small boy hunched over in pain and held his nose, the blood covering his hands. _

"_You know something?" the lead jock jeered, dropping the Gundam Model Kit to the ground, "You really need to grow the fuck up. What's that old saying? 'There's a time to put childish things away'?" He stopped hard on the box and twisted it underneath his heel. Aoi's eyes widened as the box continued to grind under his foot, small clicking noises being heard inside the box. "So tiny, whatcha gonna do, huh?"_

"_Hey, knock it off!" a voice demanded._

_The jocks turned around to the entrance of the alley, seeing who had interrupted their fun. It was Shinichi, glaring angrily at them. "Ah, another four-eyes," the leader scoffed. "Just turn around and walk away, slim shady, unless you want an ass kicking too."_

_Shinichi's eyes narrowed as he removed his glasses and ran a hand through his hair, spiking it up, "Not gonna happen."_

"_You're asking for it kid," the bully growled._

"_So why not come at someone who can fight back?" Shinichi challenged. "Or are you guys such big wusses that you can only feel good when ganging up on some kid? Lemme guess, overcompensating? I'm suggesting you guys got small dicks and have to take it out on him."_

"_Teme!" the leader roared and aimed a punch at Shinichi but he grabbed his wrist and then spun his body around before slamming him against the alley's wall. He then pushed him to the ground._

"_Who's next?" Shinichi challenged. _

"_You're dead meat, kid!" the second jock roared as he pulled out a switch blade. Shinichi lazily lifted up his leg and planted his boot against his face, knocking the brute into a trash can. Looking behind him, he saw two other people appearing behind him. _

"_Saji-san, Takeru," he acknowledged._

"_Need help, Shinichi?" Saji asked, pounding his fists and looking ready to fight._

"_I can handle it, and is that my model kit?" Shinichi asked as he saw the box in Saji's arms._

"_It's not like it isn't in pieces already," laughed Saji._

"_True," Shinichi laughed, lifting up his arm as another jock came rushing at him. It came so sudden that the jock didn't even have time to stop himself, and wound up getting hit in a clothesline. He spun in the air before falling face first on the pavement. "Stay tight. I can handle these posers easily."_

"_Can do!" Takeru mock saluted. _

_It wasn't long before Shinichi made short work of the jocks. It goes to show that they were all talk and no bite. Shinichi, however, knew all there was about fighting and knew how to make the jocks look like goons. The bullies soon went running, swearing revenge as they did. Seeing them gone, the older boys went to check on the younger boy._

"_Hey, are you OK?" Shinichi asked as he helped Aoi up._

"_Yes, thank you..." Aoi said as he looked at Shinichi in wonder. "Why did you help me? I'm a nobody."_

"_What are you talking about?" Shinichi asked. He looked down and saw something that caught his interest. The box was a bit ruined, having been stomped on. Hopefully the parts inside weren't ruined. "Is this yours?" he asked, holding the box to the kid. The kid took the box and hugged it tight._

"_Yes, it is," Aoi answered timidly._

"_I build Gunpla too," smiled Shinichi. "What's your name?"_

"_Tatsu... Aoi Tatsu."_

"_Shinichi Sanban. These are my friends, Takeru and Saji-san." Shinichi introduced. He frowned as he scanned his bruised face and bleeding nose, "Oh damn, those punks messed you up, didn't they? Come on, let's go. You need to have those bruises treated."_

"_Y-you don't have to!"_

"_No, but I want to. There's a clinic nearby," Shinichi told him_

* * *

"So after he helped you from the bullies, you hit it off well," Netto summarized.

"That's sooo awesome!" Kurumu gushed, latching on to Shinichi's arm. "You always did have a hero in you!"

"Ah! Kurumu-chan!" Moka exclaimed, in jealousy.

"Hai, the way he fought off those bullies was really cool," Aoi smiled, a tint of red appearing on his cheeks. "He fought them off like they were nothing. If I didn't know any better, he fought a lot like the Kamen Riders that were appearing lately."

"Kamen Riders?" Shinichi asked, not familiar with the term. "Who are they?"

"The two armored heroes who have been fighting monsters," Aoi answered, reaching into his bag and pulling out a newspaper. He unfolded it for the elder teens to see. On the front page, there was a picture of Dusk and Netto fighting another Freak. "See? These guys."

"Oh... those guys," Shinichi nodded slowly. People have been talking about those attacks lately, so it would make sense that they would have a snapshot or two.

"And you call them 'Kamen Riders'?" Netto asked.

"Well, they kinda look like the Kamen Riders from those urban legends," Aoi reasoned, refolding the paper into his bag. "No two Kamen Riders are the same, you know. The each of them has different and terrifying powers at the palm of their hands." Aoi's smile grew as his eyes started to shine. "I wonder what kind of powers those two new Kamen Riders have. It must be amazing to have the whole world watching them. To admire them." He gave out a deep sigh, "I wish I was like them..."

"Well, maybe you could," Moka encouraged.

"No, that would be impossible," Aoi shook his head. "I'm just a weakling."

"I don't think they are Riders because of how strong they are. I think it's because how strong they have to be. If they didn't do anything, those monsters would hurt a lot of people," Shinichi added.

"That's why they're so awesome. I could never be like them."

"Then don't. Just be you and be the best you can be. Now, how about you join us and look around the place. I heard there are other Gundam-related events taking place."

Aoi smiled, "I'd like that, Shinichi-sempai."

* * *

The Gunpla Competition wasn't the only event taking place. Fans of the franchise also came in costume. There were cosplayers dressed up as their favorite characters and also some very cute girls dressed up as well-known female characters from the series. There was also a workshop where young kids could learn how to build their first Gunpla and stands selling MS Gundam merchandise.

"Wow, that guy must be a dedicated fan," Shinichi commented as he saw a man in a human-sized Gundam costume walking by.

"Everyone looks like they're really enjoying themselves," Qiao added with a grin, "It's definitely like a big party."

"A party?" Moka asked her.

"Well, it definitely looks the part, doesn't it?" she replied.

"Hm... since you put it like that..." Moka began. Her eyes suddenly fell on a stand that held small plushies of SD Gundams. Her eyes lit up instantly as her pupils formed into hearts, "Waa! Kawaii~!" she gushed as she inched towards the stand.

"You want it?" Shinichi asked, smiling.

"Yes please~," Moka answered cutely. Still smiling, Shinichi paid the man at the stand. The plushy was cheap, so it was no harm. After receiving a small plushy of Captain Gundam, he presented it to Moka, he squealed immediately before grabbing the toy and cuddling it to her face, "Oh~, it's so cute! Thank you, Shinichi-kun!" She planted a quick peck on his cheek. Shinichi blushed brightly as he fingered where Moka kissed him. Kurumu and Mizore, however, glowered in response.

"You're welcome... Moka-san," Shinichi nodded, still blushing. Realizing that Moka had just one up-ed them, the other two girls took action.

"Hey! Shinichi!" Kurumu exclaimed, pointing to a plushy of Zero the Wing Knight, "Buy me this too!"

"And this," Mizore added, holding a small Zaku plushy.

"Alright ladies," Shinichi laughed, "One at at time."

An otaku walked by as all of the commotion was happening. As he passed Shinichi and his girls, he saw from the corner of his eyes Moka still cuddling the Captain Gundam toy. Eyes shining, he went up to her and asked, "Ano...excuse me. Could I take a picture of you?"

"A picture of me?" Moka asked, now clutching the plushy to her chest.

"It's just that your pink hair makes you look like Lacus Clyne!" he said enthusiastically.

"Who?" Moka blinked.

"Lacus Clyne is a popular character from Gundam Seed and Gundam Seed Destiny, and one of the most influential main girls in the Gundam-verse as a whole. The fact that's she's an idol also helps," Shinichi explained to her. He rubbed his chin as he formed an idea. "Come to think of it, you would look pretty good in one of her outfits."

"Really?" Now it was Moka's turn to blush.

"Yeah, it'd work for you!" Shinichi nodded. He turned to Mizore and Kurumu, "What about you girls? What do you think?"

"They are actually renting out costumes," offered Aoi. "If you want, you can try them on."

"Oh, that's sounds fun," Kiko admitted. She always did like trying out new outfits. Coming from a family that ones a fashion line gave her that effect. "How about it girls? Care to try?"

"I'll give it a try. I've never tried wearing Gundam costumes before," Qiao said, smiling. She went behind Netto and wrapped her arms around his chest, "What kinda costume you think I should wear this time?" she asked flirtatiously in his ear. She always did like dressing up in costumes, especially for Netto. A blush snuck up on Netto's face, at the sensation of one of his girlfriends blowing softly in his ear.

"Maybe a piloting outfit?" Shinichi suggested. "They may not expose skin but some of them are tight enough to reveal your figures. Or maybe an officer's uniform?" He then added, "Oh, how about an MS Girl costume!"

"What is an MS girl costume?" Usha asked.

"Basically, it's when a girl wears sexy armor based on a mobile suit," Shinichi explained.

"Sexy... armor?" Usha muttered. Her mind started wander as her head filled with images of tight, revealing armor, showing scanty flashes of skin. Armor that wasn't meant for protection, but rather to show off their bodies. Being a lilim and coming from a power family, she's seen her family's servants wear such armor plenty of times. "Can you show them to me?"

"Hm, must be in the same area with the costumes," Shinichi said. He noted the looks on all the girls eyes. "You... wanna try them?"

He didn't even need to ask as they already went to the dressers.

* * *

After a rather lengthy time to dress up, the six girls were now in Gundan costumes and were giving the boys a show. As suggested, Moka was cosplaying as Lacus Clyne, clad in a familiar kimono which stopped just above her knees. It was black in color and purple along the edges, held by a pink sash. She also wore the white trenchcoat with purple sleeves and white ankle boots. She also wore the golden hair ornament.

Kurumu was cosplaying as Allenby Beardsley from Mobile Fighter G Gundam, dressed in the latex red, blue and white suit. Antennas protruded on her shoulders and back of her heels and a yellow bow was on her chest. The tight, one-piece bodysuit really accentuated her curves.

Mizore was cosplaying as Aila Jyrkiainen from the latest Gundam Build Fighters series, dressed in the white and lavender dress, elbow length gloves, and white thigh high boots. She even wore the beret to complete the look.

As with Qiao, being the resident Chinese girl of the group, she was dressed as Wang Liu Mei of Gundam 00. The garbs consisted of a baby blue dress with the sleeves covering only her shoulders. She also had on purple leggings that stopped just below her knees and pink heels with ribbons tied on her ankles. She even tied her hair in two ponytails on each side on her head. While Liu Mei was far from a role model like Lacus, Qiao looked really good in the dress.

Kiko was dressed as Aina Sahalin from the OVA "The 08th MS Team". She was dressed in a pink skin tight pilot suit. The white square patterns were lined up on the sides of her arms and legs, and also with white shoulder pads and white gloves, complete with the ankle length boots on her feet. The zipper in the front of the suit was slightly opened to expose her nice cleavage. Like Kurumu's costume, the suit showed off her physical and figure very nicely.

As for Usha, she was dressed in a very suggestive version of the Unicorn Gundam: Destroy Mode armor. She was holding no weapons, but it didn't really matter because it was for style. The white pseudo-armor covered her chest, shoulders, arms, and legs, with crimson red vein-like highlights. She was also wearing white leggings underneath the thigh-high boots. Her flat belly was bare and there was a very short mini skirt that was also white with red highlights. She also wore a small headpiece with a gold V-fin.

When Shinichi Netto saw them, both their eyes sparkling at the costumes of their girls. Shinichi actually weaped tears of joy, while Netto's jaw dropped for the birds to lay their nest, "Sugei..." Shinichi uttered in pure awe. He took out his phone and snapped pictures of the girls, "Hold that pose!" He took pictures from different angles.

"Me first! Me first!" Netto exclaimed, pulling his own phone to snap pictures.

"Gezz, now Netto's in on it too," Saji chuckled.

"Can you blame them? Those girls are hot!" Takeru commented.

"They sure are," admired Aoi. He observed that these girls respond positively to Shinichi and couldn't help but be envious of his sempai.

It wasn't long before a couple of other Gundam fans took notice of the six girls, and soon started taking pictures of them too. Moka seemed a bit shy at the people suddenly appearing, Mizore and Usha didn't care all that much, but Kurumu, Qiao and Kiko seemed to enjoy the attention. "Ho-ho-ho, this is quite the audience we managed to gather," Kiko smiled, putting a hand on her hip and another behind her head in another pose.

"Is... this supposed to be happening?" Moka asked shyly, fidgeting slightly. This seemed to give her the adorable shy girl look added to the costume she was wearing. The fans seemed to enjoy it all the same as they continued taking photos.

"Hey, it's a convention, isn't it?" Kurumu grinned as she bent down with her hands on her knees, making her breasts bounce. "Just enjoy the opportunity."

"This is the best day of my life," Shinichi nearly shed tears of joy.

* * *

After enjoying themselves around the convention, it was time for the judges to announce the winner of the Gunpla Building Competition. They carefully judged each entry, scoring them based on creativity, originality, detail and the quality of construction. Overall the entries were each very impressive but there could only be one winner. Some of the builders chose to recreate memorable scenes from the Gundam anime while the more daring ones made original scenes using Gundam, including custom parts. Shinichi was with his friends, nervous about the results.

Standing on the stage and standing before the audience was a man dressed in a sharp suit. A woman walked towards him and handed him an envelope that likely had the names of the ones who won the competition. As she walked off the stage, the man opened the envelope and pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

"Our judges have tallied your scores. Before I announce the winner, I would like to thank you all for your efforts. Today I've had the honor to see so many impressive Gunpla, all built by you. You have shown me how much you love Gundam. Now, with that said, let us meet our Top 3!" He then announced, "In third place with his entry entitled 'Gundam Space Battle' is Shinichi Sanban!"

Shinichi was stunned. He got third place. That wasn't so bad. He didn't expect to win first place since he just started Gunpla building. He would just try harder next time.

"What are yer waiting for? Go!" Saji pushed him forward to head onto the stage to accept his prize. Shinichi raced up to the stage and accepted his third place medal. His friends applauded and so did Aoi as he smiled at his sempai. Shinichi then stood to the side as the man continued,

"Now, for our first runner up!" the man continued, "For her entry entitled 'War in the Pocket: Revisited', Mina Tepeş!" the crowd cheered again as a young girl who appeared to be in her pre-teen years with crimson eyes and long blond hair tied in rabbit-ponytails, dressed in in an elegant lolita dress and accepted the medal. She smiled as though a victorian era woman would at the audience before bowing in a curtsy. She then went to stand next to Shinichi, leaving the man to announce the winner.

"And first place goes to...Aoi Tatsu for his entry entitled 'The Gundam Cemetery'!"

Aoi blinked once. Then he blinked twice. And then he blinked three times. "Eh. Me?" he pointed at himself as the audience cheered.

"Go on, kid," Takeru urged as he gave Aoi a gentle push. Aoi winced a bit at the touch. He was still stunned speechless but was able to walk up to the stage to accept his prize. While Shinichi and Mina received medals, Aoi received a gold Gundam Trophy. It was about as tall as a dog, made of pure gold, and depicted a glorious Burning Gundam on a podium. Aoi took the prize happily, standing before the roaring audience as he held the trophy above his head with something he never felt before: pride.

"Congratulations, Aoi-kun," praised Shinichi and the younger boy looked ready to cry tears of joy.

Most of the audience applauded him, cheering. There were a few who were disappointed that they hadn't won so they gave polite applause. However, one of the people in the crowd was seething in anger. His blood boiled as he glared at Aoi who had won. How could a kid like that beat a talented genius like him!? How could any of them beat him!? Well, he's got something to make this fair game. It costed a pretty penny, but now it was worth it. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a black Freak Chip, the wires squirming lively as they squealed like rats. The wires from the chip impaled into his skin, instantly causing him to scream out in pain as the wires started to envelop his body like a cocoon, with those around him taking notice and yelling out as they scrambled to get away.

The cocoon exploded and the Freak leapt off the spot before landing on stage in a crouch, slowly standing back to reveal its full form. The Freak resembled a humanoid-hunched over locust with a brown and green exoskeleton covering its body. It also had spikes on its forearms and shins. The head sported large compound eyes and sharp mandibles as its antennae twitched. It snarled angrily as it approached Aoi menacingly.

"W-w-what's going on!?" Aoi yelled, backing up fearfully from the Locust Freak. "Why is there a monster here!?"

Shinichi grabbed his friend's hand and led him off stage. "Get to the emergency exit!"

"_GIVE ME THAT TROPHY!"_ the Locust Freak roared as it lunged for Aoi. However, Shinichi intercepted him and knocked it off the stage with a punch. The crowd continued to flee towards the emergency exits, leaving the Freak and Shinichi alone on stage.

"_You'll pay for that!"_ the Freak roared as he swung his claws at Shinichi, but he performed a backflip and landed off stage. Suddenly, all the lights in the convention hall shut off, covering the entire place in darkness. _"What is this!?"_ A spotlight shone upon the Locust Freak. _"Where are you!?"_

A spotlight shone upon Shinichi and another shone upon Netto, who was standing in front of the stage before Shinichi and the Locust Freak.

"Has everyone evacuated?" Shinichi asked Netto.

"Every has left. Safe and sound," Netto confirmed.

"That's good to hear. Now, let's deal with this pest problem, together," the antenna haired teen nodded.

"_What the hell are you both doing?"_ the Locust Freak, clearly unhappy, snapped.

"You were about to attack a defenseless kid just because you didn't win anything," Shinichi glared at the Freak. "That isn't just poor sportsmanship, no. That's being an outright asshole. Now, time to take a crash course in Humility 101." His belt materialized around his waist as he fished out his Transformation Chip. At the same time, Netto summoned his own belt and place both his hands on his sides.

"**Stand By! OK?"** the Battle Driver called out.

"Henshin!" both boys shouted.

"**Change! OK! Complete: Dusk!"**

"**Digitizing!"**

**(Insert song - Full Force - Kamen Rider Kabuto)**

Once suited up, the two Kamen Riders leapt onto stage to attack the Locust Freak. The two worked together, fighting as a unit as they attacked with kicks that the Locust Freak tried to block. Then, a double punch attack straight in the chest sent the Locust Freak skidding backwards, holding its chest in pain as the air was knocked out of him.

"**Duskalibur On! OK!"**

Dusk charged at the Locust Freak and swung his sword only to be kicked back by the insectoid monster. Mega somersaulted on the stage with swift agility and threw a kick at the Locust Freak right in the face. It stumbled back from the hit, and growled as both its arms started to snap apart, not unlike metal mechanics rather than that of an insect's body. It pointed its arms forward as they continued to take shape. Eventually, the arms to the shape of machine guns.

"Machine guns!? It has machine guns!?" exclaimed Dusk.

"Why is that weird? We're cyborgs. Besides, I thought you'd be used to this by now," Mega commented.

"Freaks always come up with something new," Dusk admitted sheepishly, "But why would locusts be related to machine guns?"

Once the machine guns were fully formed, the Locust Freak opened fire, spraying energy bullets at both Riders. The two scrambled, taking cover behind the tables used to display the dioramas. The bullets tore through the entries with ease and pieces of Gunpla rained down on Dusk. This made the midnight Rider furious and he rose up to make his outrage known.

"HEY! YOU DESTROYED THOSE DIORAMAS! DON'T YOU REALIZE HOW HARD EVERYONE WORKED ON THOSE!?"

"Get down you idiot!" snapped Mega as he pulled Dusk back down for cover. "Seriously, was that necessary?"

"He was destroying those beautiful dioramas! They must be avenged!" Dusk continued to rant.

"Is it because he destroyed yours?" Mega asked.

"WHAT!?" Dusk raged as his yellow eyepieces flashed, "Oh-ho, that son of a bitch is going down!" He lept out of the hiding place and slotted a Battle Chip into his belt.

"**Gust On! OK!"**

The whirlwinds appeared underneath Dusk's feet the moment he leapt over the table. The Locust Freak fired at him but Dusk repelled them with a whirlwind barrier around his body. Crossing the distance swiftly, he nailed the Locust Freak with a series of tornado kicks before sending it flying with a burst of wind power. The Locust Freak tumbled over floor and crashed into the wall, the impact causing a crater to form behind him. Growling, the Locust Freak's antenna twitched and shot out a green laser blast towards Dusk. The midnight Rider blurred out of the way, just as the laser went by on the carpet floor and left burnt scorch marks from its wake.

"_You bastards,"_ the Freak snarled, as it armed both its antenna and guns, _"Don't get in my way!" _It let loose a hail storm of lasers and bullets all over the room, trying to shoot down Dusk as he evaded and out maneuvered the projectiles with his heightened speed.

Mega sighed in exasperation, "Oh, well." He placed his hands on his belt sides and shouted out, "Access: Ryu!"

"**Storm Dragon!"**

Mega's Cyber Reactor glowed bright green before the light shimmered around him. The light dimmed down and he was once again in a new form. His bodysuit was now black and the armor was green in color. The gems, the Crystal Transmitters, and visors were both dark green in color. His helmet took the shape of a Chinese dragon with gold whiskers, and his shoulder pads took the appearance of dragon paws with white claws.

Stretching his arms out on both sides, green virtual codes appeared in both his hands and formed into twin sai weapons. The grips were both green in color and silver blades were thin and sharp. Twirling the Dragon Daggers in his hands, Storm Dragon Mega launched off in a sudden burst of speed, leaving a trail of green wind in his path. Blurring around the lasers and bullets, he crossed through the Locust Freak and left a slash across it. It roared in pain and anger, its attack interrupted. Mega didn't finish the punishment as he was still a streak of green and crossed slashes through it over and over again, leaving marks and gashes all over the Freak as it roared, hissed, and tumbled from the blows.

Mega skid to a stop, standing up as he saw the Freak trying to get its bearings together. Dusk reappeared in a gust next to him. Looking at the green Rider, he asked, "How about a double whammy?"

"It's your call," Mega nodded. Both Kamen Riders arched the feet as duel wind storms surrounded them, giving the some extra speed boost for them to execute a dual attack. Then the jumped up and disappeared quickly. Before the Freak could react, two streaks came out of nowhere and started hitting it with everything they had. It was given no room to breath as it was hit everywhere, pieces of the hardened skin actually chipping out with each blow. The hits were relentless as the Locust Freak was actually forced to its knees. And then, just as quickly as they came, the attack stopped. Slowly standing up, the Locust Freak looked around, its antennae twitching warily.

"_Now what are they up to...?" _he frowned.

"**Copy On! OK!"**

"_Woah!"_ the Freak exclaimed as a swarm of Dusks suddenly surrounded him an puffs of blue smoke. It glared as the machine guns spun, _"Oh, no way!"_ it yelled, spinning itself around and peppering the oncoming clones with bullets. The clones that were hit all vanished until there was nothing else. The Locust Freak frowned. What happened to the real one?

"Surprise!" Dusk came down from the rafters and slashed the Freak across the back with his Duskalibur. The Locust Freak was forced to spin around to confront the Rider face-to-face only to be slashed repeatedly across the chest and then kicked backwards. "Netto!"

"On it!" Mega complied, jumping out from the shadows. He threw his sais with deadly precision, and the tact on to the Freak's chest. Not even disappearing in a blur, but still moving too fast to be perceived, he plowed his fist straight into the Freak's face, blasting it backwards as a cyclone rammed into it from the impact. The sais were knocked off the chest from the hit and returned back to Mega's hands.

The Locust Freak slowly staggered to its feet and glared at both Dusk and Mega, the antenna starting to droop. _"Oh, screw you guys! I'm going home!"_ he shouted in contempt. Wings then burst out of the Locust Freak's back as he took off, aiming straight for the exit.

"He's getting away!" Dusk called.

"Not on our watch!" Mega replied, dismissing his Dragon Daggers before placing his hands on both sides of his belt. "Access: Tenma!"

"**Diamond Pegasus!" **

Cyan light poured out of his belt and all around Mega. As it cleared, he had once again changed shape. His bodysuit turned gray, his armor became cyan and the Crystal Transmitters on his arms and legs became blue. The visors also turned blue, and the helmet took shape of a horse's head. Finally, his shoulder pads took the shape of horseshoes and a feathered cape appeared behind his back.

Dusk followed suit, pulling out another Battle Chip and slipping it into his belt.

"**Booster On! OK!"**

The jetpack appeared on his back with that said and done."Let's jet!" Dusk activated his Rocket Booster and shot off after the Freak. Mega's cape expanded into bird-like wings and flew after Dusk close by, trails of ice trailing him with each flap of the wings.

* * *

Police had been called and keeping the crowd at bay. Among them were Shinichi and Netto's friends. Suddenly, the front doors burst open as the Locust Freak came flying out. The people panicked at the sight of the monster. However, the Freak was not alone as both Dusk and Mega flew after him. Aoi's eyes went wide at the sight.

"Kamen Riders..." he uttered in awe, ice dust gently touching down on his shoulders.

* * *

The battle took the the skies as the Riders chased after the Locust Freak through the air. Dusk repeatedly swung his sword, sending flaming crescent waves of blue energy flying at the Freak. Mega in the meantime brought out what looked to be a blue Desert Eagle with a pair of wings folded on each side. He took aim and fired blasts of ice at the Freak. It seemed to anticipate each move as it narrowly avoided each round. And it each missed shot, Mega's frown only became deeper. They had to end the fight quickly. It was getting out of hand already as it was.

"Alright, now it's on!" Mega frowned. His visors flashed as his HDU began to lock on to both of the the Freak's buzzing wings. Seeing that there was finally a lock, Mega's frown turned into a grin as he fired two shots of ice from his Pegasus Magnum. The shots were tried and true, hitting the Freak's wings and freezing them in an instant. With its mode of transportation gone, the Locust Freak was left to fall from the sky, and it took notice of that.

"_What the-?! Ooooh noooooooo~!"_ the Freak screamed as it flailed about and fell.

"Now! Go get it!" Mega urged.

"OK!" Dusk nodded, slipping in another chip.

"**Charging Overdrive! OK!"**

The Rocket Booster's output increased as Dusk's sharp shoulder pads detached and reattached to his boots. He then started to spin like a flying drill, aimed at the Locust Freak. Dusk slammed into it from behind and burst right through before the Freak crashed to the ground, resulting in an explosion. From the circle of flames, a Battle Chip rose up and shot into Dusk's hand. What was left of the Freak was now the angry man from earlier, reduced to only skin and bones.

**(End song)**

"Looks like Fran-san has to wait for that live Freak body for a little while," mused Dusk as he tossed his new Battle Chip up and down.

* * *

Because of the interruption caused by yet another Freak attack, the Gunpla expo was closed early for police investigation. Like all the other attacks that were occurring over the past several months, the only clue they had was an emaciated teenager found several blocks from the competition. Now, none of the officers were able to come up with a solution for the strange cases that were happening. Oh sure, there were other odd cases like the various body parts being found almost everywhere, and it turned out to come from a girl with a bad case of jinmen-sou (human-faced wounds), but the monster sightings were also just as strange, maybe even more so. It didn't seem like anyone was going to be sleeping peacefully anytime soon.

At least Aoi now has the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of his hard work. Still clutched in his arms was the Gunpla competition trophy. He actually felt happy for once. Very happy. He hadn't been like this in a very long time, and it was enjoyable. And he got to see the Kamen Riders in action, his idols. Not many actually got to see Riders up close and he was actually lucky enough to catch a glimpse of them. This was possibly the best day of his life.

"Well, looks like we better head back home," Takeru sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Can't be helped. The streets are becoming even more dangerous. Next thing you know there's going to be a curfew," Kiko added.

"Ugh, damn. That sure is gonna suck," Takaru frowned. "Hope there's gonna be more of those Kamen Rider dudes to show up."

"No argument there," Saji agreed, patting Takeru's shoulder. "Hey, you girls gonna wear that all the way home?" Saji asked, pointing out the cosplay outfits they were still wearing.

"The evacuation happened so fast that we only had time to get our clothing out of the locker rooms when they let us back in," Kurumu said, looking down out her pilot suit. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Nothin'," Saji said quickly.

"I just wanna go home and take a nap. I've had enough excitement today," Takeru said, yawning.

"Yep, and I got some homework to get started," added Saji.

"Well, have a safe trip, guys," said Shinichi. Saji and Takeru nodded and waved, the two of them going off on their separate ways. He turned to Aoi and asked, "So you wanna hang out for a bit later?"

"No, I can't," Aoi shook his head, "I need to get home too." He turned to the other friends and bowed, "It's nice to meet you again, sempai-tachi!" He ran off from the group, carrying the trophy in his arms.

"He's a sweet kid," Kiko said, watching Aoi's figure vanish over the distance. "He really seems to admire you, Saban-kun."

"I actually met him almost two weeks before I met Moka-san," Shinichi said. "He's always getting picked on by nearly everyone at his school, and he didn't have anyone to call his friend. I'm not sure but I think he was having problems at home too. Me, Takeru and Saji thought we'd look after him, ya know. Give the kid some role models to look up too."

"How chivalrous of you," Moka remarked, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it is," Shinichi nodded. He turned to Netto and asked, "Do you wanna head home?"

"No way," Netto denied. "Let's go someplace to celebrate."

"I only got third place," Shinichi held up his medal.

"Then let's celebrate for the sake of it," Netto suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Kiko smiled.

"Come on, Shinichi! It's summer break! We should have as much fun as we can!" Kurumu encouraged as she hugged his arm. Suddenly, Shinichi was torn from her grip as Mizore hugged him possessively. "Oh, come on!"

"Mine," Mizore stated firmly as she caressed his cheek.

"Please, don't fight," Moka begged. "Let's just go someplace and have fun."

"And maybe get some grub," said Qiao. "I know a good ramen place we can go to for a quick bite to eat."

"By all means, Qiao. Lead the way," smiled Shinichi

* * *

It was already raining later that night by the time Aoi arrived home. It was one of his least favorite places to be, but right now he didn't have much of a choice. He climbed on to the stairs and opened opened the door, slipping the trophy underneath his shirt to hide it. His grandmother was unaware about his Gunpla hobby and he preferred to keep it that way. Every Gunpla he bought were from any odd job he managed to get. It was how he paid for lunches, if they didn't get stolen that was. Building Gunpla were pretty much the only time he ever got a moments peace, as suggested from his guidance counselor.

He closed the door behind him and removed his sneakers from his feet. It didn't seem like his grandmother was around, maybe at another mass. Good, that gave him more time to hid his trophy. Still clutching the bulge under his shirt that was his prize, Aoi ran up the stairs as quickly as his legs could take him. Reaching the door that led to his room, he opened it...

...and froze.

On the floor of his room, pieces of Gunpla he had ever built layed broken, and damaged beyond repair. Some of them were even stepped on, if he could look closely enough. All he knew was that all his hard work wad been spat on just like that. And the one responsible? She on the bed, arms and legs crossed, waiting expectantly for him. She appeared to be in her late-forties to early-fifties. He had wavy brown hair and dark blue eyes, and was dressed in a blue bathrobe with pink sandals.

"G... grandma..." Aoi stuttered.

"So you're home now, are you?" the grandmother said cooly, getting up from the bed and walking towards him. She didn't even bother to walk around the broken pieces, casually stepping on them and snapping a few more as she went. "You have any idea how late you are?"

"I-I was only out with some frie-" Aoi began.

"Who would want to be friends with a homely bastard like you?" the grandmother spat, causing Aoi to flinch. The grandmother's eyes trailed down to the bulge under his shirt. "What is that you're hiding? Take it out!" she demanded, reaching over and pulling his shirt.

"What! No!" Aoi pleaded, stunningly against her to keep his prize under his shirt, "Please stop! Stop!"

Aoi's grandmother continued to pull out whatever it was Aoi was hiding, eventually pushing him harshly onto his back and causing him to lose his grip on his trophy. The gold trophy fell out of his shirt and landed on the floor with a thump. Growling, Aoi's grandmother picked up the trophy with disdain.

"And just where did you get this?" she questioned, "They actually give out prizes for crafting the devil's tools? Is this a bad joke?"

"It's not a joke!" Aoi denied, standing back up, "I won that on my own! And it's not just me, other people build Gunpla for fun too!"

"So its a cult then," Aoi's grandmother spat venomously. "That doesn't surprise me at all." Her glare intensified as she looked down at Aoi, "My daughter would still be alive if it wasn't for you. You and your drunken thug of a father. I still can't believe those damn cops still haven't found him after all these years. Probably out raping some other poor girl as we speak."

"Wh...what?" Aoi stuttered, not understanding what she just said.

"Don't what me!" Aoi's grandmother snapped. "Why on God's earth should a satanic bastard like you be given anything?! In fact, why should you have ever been born?! If only Kagura had just listened to me and got an abortion. She would still be here... and yet I'm stuck here with _you_. If only..." she thundered as she rose the trophy up in the air, "IF ONLY YOU HAD NEVER BEEN BORN!"

**SMASH!**

Aoi could only watch in abject horror as his one and only proof of achievement was shattered in pieces the moment it hit the floor. The gold and plaque scattered all over the floor, turning to worthless scraps. He couldn't believe. Just as he thought that he finally managed to achieve something, it was gone just like that. The grandmother couldn't care less as she looked at him in utter hatred, and prepared to do something she believe she should have done long ago.

"Get out!" she screamed, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the room. "You are no longer welcome in the house! You can rot away and die for all I care!"

She roughly dragged him down the stairs, his body jerking down the steps as she uncaringly dragged him next to her. Aoi cried out and struggled to get away from the grip, but it was no good. Her hand was on him like a clam. Finally reaching the door, she twisted the doorknob and throw him out into the rain, closing the door and locking it behind her. Aoi scrambled to back to the door and bashed his fists onto it, begging to be let in. His eyes were red and tears streamed down on his cheeks as he continued to beg, but the grandmother remained stationary.

* * *

It was an hour later when Aoi finally gave up and started to wander the streets. The rain soaked his shirt and pants as he went. His grandmother didn't even bother to give him his sneakers when she unceremoniously evicted him, so he was barefoot too. Now he was homeless, and without any form of structure. Cold and helpless.

What had he ever done? What did he do to deserve this? His grades may not've been perfect, but he still kept out of trouble whenever he could. The teachers never complained. Not once. So why was it that his grandmother hated him so much? He had never done anything wrong. Looking over the distance, he found a shielded bus stop and ran to take shelter. Plooping on a seat, he sat on a fedele position and lied his head on his knees.

As he continued to contemplate what he would do, someone ran through the rain and reached shelter in the same bus stop next to the boy. Shaking himself to get most of the wetness off, he sat down on the same bench and took a breath.

"Hmm. Some weather, eh?" Frankenstein said. Aoi didn't answer. Turning to him, Frankenstein noticed what was wrong with him, "My dear boy. What happened to you? Where are your shoes?"

"My..." Aoi choked back a sob, "My grandma... she kicked me out of the house..." another sob was heard, "I don't know why..."

Frankenstein frowned, "How troublesome." What kind of parent would throw a child out of the house like that? "So then, you have no other place to go," he said, already guessing the answer.

"Uh... (hick) huh..."

"Well, then my boy," Frankenstein said sympathetically, pulling out a black chip out of his pocket, "From this day forward, you can call me... Father."

The sounds of a terrifying roar filled the dark and stormy night.

* * *

**Ending theme: Contact by Trocadero**

* * *

**TAILSMO4EVER: To be frank, Chrome and I had some trouble with this chapter. Not because of writers block, but because of the theme of this chapter that hit both of us close to home: bullying and abuse. Now thankfully, I was never abused by my parents and its clear that Chrome wasn't either. We were both, however, both bullied when we were younger. Bullying and abuse is never funny. If you find yourself the victim of any of these, please get help before its too late.**


End file.
